http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/news/charity_worker_who_died_in_swiss_cottage_swimming_pool_suffered_brain_haemorrhage_1_3689105
Charity worker who died in Swiss Cottage swimming pool suffered brain
haemorrhage
http://www.hamhigh.co.uk/polopoly_fs/1.3689104.1405613858!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_630/image.jpg
*Nebiat Tekleab died while swimming in Swiss Cottage*
by Imogen Blake Friday, July 18, 2014
10:00 AM
A volunteer charity worker who died while swimming in Swiss Cottage Leisure
Centre suffered a brain haemorrhage caused by high blood pressure, an
inquest has heard.
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A post-mortem revealed that Nebiat Tekleab, 60, of Ariel Road, West
Hampstead, did not drown on March 18 at the centre in Adelaide Road, Swiss
Cottage.
The pathologist who carried out the examination, Prof Peter Vanezis, said
Ms Tekleab could have collapsed from the bleed on the brain at any time and
that her chances of recovery were "very slim".
CCTV footage played in court showed Ms Tekleab swimming backstroke at about
10.30am before suddenly becoming still.
Lifeguard Michael Wopalenski pulled her from the pool almost immediately
after he saw her floating with her arms outstretched while another began
breathing checks and CPR.
"Before she was a confident swimmer," the lifeguard remembered. "I first
noticed her moving a little towards the shallow end.
"It looked like she was doing a stretch in the water. She was still moving
around and kicking her leg, and that caused her to turn three-quarters.
"That was when I saw there was something wrong."
Shocked centre users watched as paramedics from an air ambulance rushed to
save Ms Tekleab's life, but at 11.20am, all efforts to save her ceased.
St Pancras Coroner's Court heard on Thursday that two non-cancerous growths
in Ms Tekleab's adrenal glands at the top of her kidneys had elevated her
blood pressure, which in turn cased the brain haemorrhage. Type 2 diabetes
was also found to be a contributory factor.
Ms Tekleab, who was born in Eritrea in the horn of Africa but grew up in
Italy, had gone for tests on the benign growths at the Royal Free Hospital
in Pond Street, Hampstead, in February and was due for an assessment a year
later.
Her nephew Biniam Gebrekhristos, who was in court with Ms Tekleab's sister
and cousin, told the *Ham&High* after the inquest that Ms Tekleab had
developed a string of medical conditions after she broke her leg in a
serious fall several years ago.
She suffered from severe depression and anxiety and attended psychotherapy
sessions, which her GP, Dr Beera Patel, said she found helpful.
Mr Gebrekhristos, 26, of Leeds, said: "She was always happy. She was like a
mum to me."
Senior coroner for inner north London, Mary Hassell, returned a verdict of
death from natural causes.
Received on Fri Jul 18 2014 - 11:23:59 EDT
