An undertaker was found crushed to death in her own UK funeral parlor by heavy machinery used to put caskets into a fridge.
Sally Blundell, a 58-year-old grandmother, was alone when she was trapped in a 440-pound scissor lift inside the chapel of rest, an inquest into her death was told Monday.
Her body was found by co-worker Stephen Kemp just after noon on Dec. 1, 2023 — an hour after she had failed to meet a bereaved woman for a pre-arranged viewing appointment at the eastern England branch.
Kemp said a hydraulic hoist was “crushing” Blundell’s chest area and told Norfolk Coroners Court it was “apparent to me she was already dead.”
Responding cop Luke Heffer said her body was inside the device’s frame, Birmingham Live reported.
The court heard from Blundell’s daughter, Lucy, who claimed her mom had voiced concerns about working alone.
The staffer was found two hours after going into the chapel of rest, according to surveillance video played to the court.
But, there are no security cameras in areas where bodies are kept.
An inspection identified a problem with a spring on the lift’s control handle.
It had previously been inspected in October 2023, when no issues were identified.
The inquest, which is being heard by a jury, continues.
