Funeral Director Dies After Scissor Lift Accident at Funeral Home

An inquest has revealed the tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a grandmother who was found crushed in her funeral parlour. Sally Blundell, aged 58, was discovered beneath a scissor lift utilized for moving bodies from a morgue fridge at her workplace in Swaffham, Norfolk, on December 1, 2023.

Ms. Blundell had been on duty by herself at the East of England Co-op Funeral Services when the equipment fell on her. She was located after concerns were expressed by a family who had scheduled an appointment at the funeral home but arrived to find it unattended.

Stephen Kemp, a colleague from the Dereham branch, recounted how he contacted emergency services upon noticing something was amiss. Police officer Luke Heffer reported that upon entering the funeral parlour, he accessed a back room containing a sizable fridge and a scissor lift that was meant for lifting caskets.

He described the scene where Mrs. Blundell was discovered trapped in the lift, her body positioned across a bar, with her upper body ensnared within the frame of the equipment.

Norfolk area coroner Yvonne Blake recorded the medical cause of death for Mrs. Blundell as 'contusion and compression of the chest due to an external object.' Dawn Salisbury, who was set to meet with a deceased relative, expressed her alarm when staff were absent during her morning appointment time.

In a statement shared during the Norwich inquest, she detailed her attempts to contact the funeral home after waiting for about 10 minutes without seeing anyone. Her efforts included calling the celebrant she was working with, which led to messages being sent to another branch.

Mr. Kemp stated that he requested security to examine the CCTV footage from the Swaffham location, which revealed two women located in the reception area for the 11am appointment alongside the car belonging to Ms. Blundell, without any sighting of her.

The inquest disclosed that there are no surveillance cameras in the sensitive areas of the funeral parlour where the bodies are kept. Upon arriving at the Swaffham branch, Mr. Kemp discovered that Ms. Blundell was deceased.

He indicated that a hydraulic hoist had fallen on her torso, causing severe injury. It was immediately obvious to him that she had already passed away.

Lucy Blundell, the deceased's daughter, noted in a statement that her mother had expressed concerns regarding the risks of working alone. She spoke of her mother’s respected position among colleagues and her extensive circle of friends.

The coroner revealed that the last known sighting of Mrs. Blundell on CCTV occurred at 9:46am on December 1, as she walked away after receiving a call on her work phone. Mr. Kemp arrived at the branch shortly after noon and found her.

The inquest is ongoing and being conducted with a jury present.