25th July 2012

BEAMINSTER: Meeting will address tunnel death concerns

Inquest hears cause of death of couple entombed in tunnel Tragedy

By Paul Crompton

RESIDENTS will be given essential information surrounding the Beaminster Tunnel deaths at a public meeting.

Details on how the police, fire and rescue service and the county council dealt with the incident will be discussed on Monday, July 30th from 7pm at the public hall.

The meeting will give an overview of the circumstances surrounding the landslide and allow the emergency services to alleviate concerns about how the incident was dealt with.

The market town’s community was shocked last week when the bodies of Rosemary Snell and Michael Rolfe were found in their car at the mouth of Beaminster Tunnel.

The couple had lay in their car under a hundred of tonnes of bricks, mud and foliage for 10 days before they were discovered on July 17th.

The couple died almost instantaneously from injuries caused by the mudslide, a coroner has ruled.

Inspector Mike Darby of Dorset Police told town councillors it was important to have the meeting so the emergency services could engage with the community.

He said told a full town council meeting the initial response had been by Dorset Police, Dorset County Council and an of-duty Police Community Special Officer.

He said: “We regret they lay undiscovered for 10 days. We made reasonable judgements on the day but there was no report of persons trapped or unaccounted for people.”

An inquest, which was opened and adjourned on Friday, July 20th, heard that rescue efforts would not have saved the couple lives. A full inquest will be heard later in the year.

The coroner heard evidence that a pathologist found the cause of death for the 67-year-old Mrs Snell was chest compression due to trapping in landslip.

The pathologist found 72-year-old former surgeon Mr Rolfe, from Fivehead, near Taunton, died from a fracture of the cervical spine due to trapping in landslip.

The coroner said the death of Mrs Snell would have been “very rapid”, while the death of Mr Rolfe would have been instantaneous.

It has been stated the prospect of rescue for all practical purposes would have been nil.

Mrs Snell from Misterton, near Crewkerne, had recently begun a relationship with Mr Rolfe.

The pair were found after a search of their bank records showed they had been in the Beaminster area for a romantic dinner in the hours leading up to the horrific accident.

Firefighters from Beaminster had previously checked the area of the landslide with heat seeking equipment, which had failed to pin-point the couple.

The gruesome discovery was only made when Somerset Police alerted their colleagues in Dorset and a second search was conducted.

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) stated it was happy with the way Dorset Police handled the case.

The watchdog said the force responded quickly enough after being told the pair may be in the area and that there was no issue to investigate.

Officers are appealing for anyone who may have seen the victim’s silver coloured Skoda motor car being driven on the A3066 from Beaminster village centre to Beaminster Tunnel between 9.30pm and 10.30pm on Saturday, July 7th.

This was the day when heavy rainfall battered the area causing widespread floods.

In a further twist police have had to step up patrols at Mrs Snell’s house after it was burgled. Several items, including valuable silverware, were stolen.

Tributes

TRIBUTES have poured in for respected community member Rosemary Snell who died when her car was entombed by mud.

The quiet village of Misterton has been in shock since the bright personality was killed at the mouth of Beaminster Tunnel on July 7th.

The Blue Badge tourist guide, the highest guiding qualification in Britain, had moved to the area from London 18 months before.

She was a member of the Flower Guild, spearheaded the Royal Tea Party at the Henhayes Centre and was an active member of Misterton Woman’s Institute.

Henhayes Centre vice-chairman Ron Spencer said: “Rosemary Snell was a very vivacious lady and a great organiser, she was everybody’s friend and would do anything for anybody.

“She will be fantastically missed. We have lost such a lovely, warm, kind outgoing person.”

Carol Walker, the secretary of Misterton WI, described Mrs Snell as a very dear friend to many, with an outgoing and bubbly personality who had a consummate desire to help the organisations she joined.

Mrs Walker said: “She had a wonderful sense of humour which she brought to all situations and was particularly articulate at joke telling. Her entertaining potential was second to none.

“She will be greatly missed by all who knew her and leaves a legacy of very happy memories.”

PICTURE 1: PICTURED at the scene, Dorset Police Assistant Chief Constable James Vaughan

PICTURE 2: NO WAY THROUGH - Beaminster Tunnel remains closed after the tragedy

PICTURE 3: TRIBUTES - Rosemary Snell was descrbed a ‘vivacious lady’ and ‘everybody’s friend’

BEAMINSTER: Meeting will address tunnel death concerns

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