Bed Mattress Falls Down with a 'Thud'... British Woman Dies of Suffocation

British Woman Using Lift-Up Bed Dies of Suffocation
Storage Space Under Mattress When Lifted
Accident Caused by Hydraulic Device Failure

A British woman who was using a lift-up bed suffocated to death after the mattress suddenly collapsed.

According to CNN on the 15th, Helen Davies, a 39-year-old who lived in the northeast of England and ran a beauty salon, died last June after leaning against the storage space under the lift-up bed. Recently, the local coroner released a report on the cause of her death, which was determined to be suffocation due to a hydraulic device failure.

The lift-up bed is equipped with air shocks on the left and right frames, allowing the mattress to be lifted so that bedding or clothing can be stored underneath. The bed involved in the accident was an IKEA Ottoman bed. The accident occurred when Davies, who was sitting in the storage space, was trapped by the upper part of the bed falling due to the hydraulic failure, causing her neck to be caught. It is reported that Davies tried to lift the bed but could not handle the weight.

The body was discovered by Davies' daughter. The daughter said, "I went upstairs and saw my mother's bedroom door wide open, and she was lying on her back with her head under the bed." She added, "I barely lifted the upper part of the bed to get her out. But she was motionless, and although I performed CPR, she was not breathing, and I confirmed she had died."

Local media have called on authorities to strengthen safety standards for lift-up beds and take measures to prevent such accidents. In the UK, as of 2022, 147 people died from falling out of beds, and 18 people, like Davies, died from suffocation.