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12
Nov
Lawnmower rider died in North Stainley pond, inquest hears
Warning: this story contains graphic details some readers may find very distressing.
A man’s body was discovered trapped beneath a lawnmower which was submerged in a pond in North Stainley, an inquest heard yesterday (November 11).
Kamil Grygieniec, 23, was found dead in a pond near Watermill Lane, near where he had been working on the afternoon of October 8, 2021.
The opening day of a three-day inquest heard Mr Grygieniec, who lived with his parents in Northallerton, was working for landscape gardeners MHS Countryside Management Ltd.
He had been cutting the grass near the village pond using a ride-on lawnmower on what was due to be his last day with the company before starting a new job.
Home Office pathologist Dr Louise Mulcahy said a post-mortem revealed Mr Grygieniec suffered significant head injuries, including extensive skull fractures and bruising to his brain.
Some of his injuries were consistent with the sharp edges on a lawnmower, the court heard.
No traces of alcohol and drugs were found in Mr Grygieniec’s system and drowning was ruled out as a cause of death.
Dr Mulcahy attributed the cause of death to head injuries.
Alexander Levine, a North Stainley resident who lives near the pond, said a young man on a ride-on lawnmower drove passed his window between 2.30pm and 2.45pm on October 8, 2021.
He did not notice anything unusual, but soon saw emergency services at the scene. Mr Levine said:
I can’t understand how the tragic incident happened as I have seen the same man cutting the grass several times. But I did notice a steep bit had been cut by the ride-on mower.
Another North Stainley resident, Glynn Horner, was driving through the village from Ripon between 2.15pm and 2.30pm. He noticed a man in his 20s cutting the grass at the top of the bank by the pond on a ride-on lawnmower, which he recalled thinking was "risky".
Emergency services arrived to find the lawnmower submerged in water. Mr Grygieniec's body was trapped beneath it.
When Mr Grygieniec's body was recovered, it was found he had also lost some fingers.
Mr Grygieniec was certified dead at the scene at 4.45pm.
A section of the pond at Watermill Lane in North Stainley.
Lawnmower safety
Mr Grygieniec had been driving a Kubota G23 lawnmower, which had been sold to MHS in 2018 by a company called Carr's Billington.
Peter Stanley, an employee at Carr's Billington who sold the lawnmower to MHS, said in a statement the company “would never deliver” a lawnmower to a customer without a rollover protective system fitted.
But the lawnmower Mr Grygieniec drove on the fateful day did not have a rollover protective system attached, the inquest heard.
Frances Ellis, of the Health and Safety Executive, told the court rollover protective systems were legally required in all lawnmowers weighing more than 400kg after European standards were introduced in 2013.
Ms Ellis said the lawnmower driven by Mr Grygieniec weighed more than 700kg and she found "no mechanical reason" why the rollover protective system had not been attached when she inspected the machine.
Former MHS employees, who described Mr Grygieniec as "hard-working" and "intelligent", told the court they were advised to operate the ride-on lawnmowers to “where we felt comfortable” when cutting grass on steep inclines or near embankments.
The court was told MHS employees received annual training sessions on how to safely use and maintain the equipment between 2006 and 2019.
But Jonathan Holroyd, who worked for MHS between 2019 and 2020, told the court he never received any training on how to use machinery whilst working at MHS. However, after a near-miss on a ride-on lawnmower himself, Mr Holroyd said he was always cautious when operating one near an embankment.
Another ex-employee, Jordan Dickinson, who worked at the firm between April and September 2021, gave a statement in 2023 which said he was shown how to use each piece of equipment thoroughly during his first week working at MHS.
Mark Balysz KC, representing a witness, cited Mr Dickinson’s statement, which said he had used the ride-on lawnmower in North Stainley before but “it would be stupid to mow at the pond”.
Mr Balysz read Mr Dickinson’s statement to the court, which added:
This is something I was told by [named man]… he told me not to mow that area as it wouldn’t be safe.
Mr Dickinson also said he found MHS staff to be supportive and felt he could approach management with any concerns.
The inquest continues.
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