Overview
- Dorset coroner Brendan Allen recorded an unnatural death after concluding that aspiration due to a childhood gastro-oesophageal surgical procedure was the cause of Ms McCarthy’s death.
- A post-mortem examination found vomit and stomach fluid in both main and peripheral airways, consistent with fatal aspiration.
- Ms McCarthy underwent corrective surgery as an infant for oesophageal atresia that relocated her stomach into her chest cavity, creating a lifelong risk of aspiration.
- She was discovered unresponsive in bed at her family home on April 28 after experiencing a persistent, rattly cough in the days prior.
- Dorset Police praised the family’s care and ruled out any suspicious circumstances, while some media outlets have variably reported her age as both 21 and 26.