Firefighters 'left woman to die' after health and safety memo

An inquiry into the death of a woman who fell down a mine has heard she lay for six hours because safety rules banned firefighters from rescuing her. Alison Hume, 44, fell about 40ft into the shaft in Galston in July 2008. A fatal accident inquiry into her death is being held at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court.

It has been told that fire crews could not aid Ms Hume because regulations stated their equipment was for saving themselves, not members of the public. The 44-year-old solicitor, who worked with the Renfrewshire legal firm McCusker McElroy and Co, was discovered by her daughter and eventually freed by mountain rescue experts. She died after suffering a heart attack just as she was brought to the surface.



Christopher Rooney, the first senior fire officer at the scene, told the FAI that it would have been possible to pull her from the shaft had it not been for a health and safety memo. Solicitor Gregor Forbes asked Mr Rooney: "On the basis of the manpower and equipment you had available, is it your view it would it would have been possible for the firefighters to have brought the person to the surface before the mountain rescue team?" Mr Rooney, 51, replied: "Yes, I believe so."

The now retired fireman said the memo was circulated around Strathclyde Fire and Rescue stations in March 2008 - just four months before the tragedy. Mr Rooney agreed with Mr Forbes, representing Ms Hume's family, that the restrictions placed on the crews that night prevented them from acting as they may otherwise have done.

See also: Firefighter arrested after 'spooked' cows killed farmer.