A man died after he climbed a tree and fell out of it.
Stephen Hitchen, a dad and grandad, was described as being a "adventurous spirit" who would regularly climb trees. On the day of his death, Mr Hitchen had visited Haigh Hall County Park, in Wigan, with his two nephews.
On Wednesday, February 8 a Coroners' Court heard the 52-year-old visited the park with the intention of climbing trees. His nephews said they heard a "crackling" noise before they turned around to see the dad-of-five falling to the ground.
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Andrew Wooton, Mr Hitchen's nephew, said: "He wanted to climb a tree. He was basically an an adventurer. He was quite healthy for his age. He just liked climbing trees."
The MEN reports that Mr Hitchen climbed the tree without any shoes on because he had a new pair of trainers on he didn't want to get ruined. Andrew Wooton said he offered his uncle his shoes but he decided to climb with his socks on instead.
Mr Wooton said: "We had a chat, and then he said 'I'm going to go a bit further', so he went." He added: "Eventually I said 'that's enough now it's a bit high… you're better off turning round'. But if he had something on his mind you could not really stop him, basically, that's the type of person he was."
Mr Wooton told the court that as his uncle continued up the tree, two men on bikes stopped and asked what they were doing. As he spoke to the pair, Mr Wooton heard Mr Hitchen fall.
He said: "I saw him hit the floor. I heard the branches crackling and I turned round, then he hit the floor." Mr Hitchen's nephews tried CPR and called for an ambulance, but he was beyond resuscitation, the inquest heard.
A toxicology report heard how Mr Hitchen had cannabis and a high level of alcohol in his system – at 220mg, compared to the drink drive limit of 80mg.
Mr Wooton said his uncle did not seem drunk, he said: "He was walking straight and that. If he was that drunk he would not have been able to get up the tree. It didn't seem like he was staggering or anything like that."
Pathologist Naveen Sharma gave the cause of Mr Hitchen's death as 'multiple injuries', having found evidence of rib fractures, internal bleeding and damage to organs. Recording a conclusion of 'misadventure', coroner Mr Teasdale said: "Stephen Hitchen was of an adventurous spirit.
"He had acted in an adventurous way in the past. He had gone to the particular location with the intention of climbing a tree. He selects this particular tree.
"There are a number of points when he's climbing the tree that he makes decisions to continue. Unfortunately, those decisions may have been affected by drink, may have been affected by cannabis. He climbs further up the tree.
"From the information that I have I would agree that he falls and you [Mr Hitchen's nephews] hear the breaking of branches as he's coming down. In that he sustains multiple injuries – injuries on his way down and as he falls to the floor.
Following the inquest, Mr Hitchen's brother Paul Hitchen told the Manchester Evening News: "He was always with our Anthony and Andrew.
"He did like a drink, but it was just like anybody. He had a social drink, a glass of wine. For him to have a few drinks it would not affect him like it would me. He was someone who could take his beer. But he was a fit lad. He was very, very fit."
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