November 9th 2024.
37-year-old Sarah McGreevy fell to her death from the sixth floor of a tower block in Hackney, east London. The tragic incident occurred when she leaned over her balcony in an attempt to unblock a broken drainpipe. It was reported in the inquest that Sarah had climbed onto a wooden box on her balcony to reach the clogged pipe.
Residents of the council-owned building had previously complained about the recurring blockages in the pipes, especially after heavy rainfall. In fact, they had resorted to clearing the pipes themselves. The coroner, during the inquest, urged the building's freeholder, Hackney Council, to address the guttering issues to prevent any future accidents. She warned that residents may continue to take matters into their own hands, putting themselves at risk.
Originally from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, Sarah suffered catastrophic injuries from the fall that took place on June 16th, just before 10am. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found a wooden box on the balcony and Sarah's mobile phone on a window ledge next to it.
Senior Coroner Mary Hassell stated, "Police were informed that residents on the fifth and sixth floors would climb onto their balconies to manually unblock pipes, especially after heavy rainfall." She also mentioned that there was no evidence to suggest that anyone else was involved in Sarah's death or that she had any suicidal intentions. Photographs of her hands showed dirt around her fingernails, indicating that she was most likely undertaking a cleaning task before the accident occurred.
The coroner's report also highlighted the potential risk of similar fatalities if action was not taken. She stated, "Several residents have reported the dangerous practice of climbing onto their balconies to clear blockages in the pipes." She urged the Operations Director of Tenancy and Homeowner Services at Hackney Council to take necessary measures within 56 days.
In response to the report, a council spokesperson expressed their condolences to Sarah's family and friends and assured that they do not expect their residents to take care of such tasks themselves. They also stated that they will carefully review the report and respond promptly in order to prevent any such incidents from happening in the future.
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