Passenger boards XC at Manchester, dies, corpse travels undisturbed to Bournemouth.

[squizzler]

A slightly bizarre story has popped up in the press: it seems (quite reasonably IMO) that nobody wanted to disturb a chap who was assumed to be sleeping.

Distancing rules meant CrossCountry rail staff didn't spot dead man for five hours

Staff abiding by physical distancing rules failed to notice that a passenger had lain dead on a train for five hours after a heart attack, a rail company has said.

CrossCountry ticket inspectors on the Manchester to Bournemouth train thought the man was sleeping, the company said. Inspectors are currently advised to keep their distance from passengers because of anti-coronavirus measures. Story continues...

 

[NSE]

I’m not surprised. If it wasn’t particularly obvious. I think people will be very cautious in the current climate. I’d wonder if maybe they would have said something if they could see his seat reservation on the screen above (assume this was a Voyager) said Manchester-Stockport and the train was approaching Basingstoke (unless the seat screen wipes after Stockport). Not nice to deal with so props/respect to the staff For having to do so.

 

[swt_passenger]

It’s a sad case, but with staff reliefs on route, (maybe both New St and Reading) and passenger turnover on route and passenger distancing, it‘s not too difficult to see why it was missed by all.

 

[221129]

Given that staff have been instructed not to walk through the train then I am not surprised by this at all tbh.

 

[yorksrob]

If he looked peaceful, I'd assume that the gentleman was asleep.

 

[Vespa]

They probably stayed away.
The agonal breathing would be mistaken for snoring.

Which is why there is a delay in prompt treatment otherwise it's survivable if caught in time.

 

[OMGitsDAVE]

I travelled myself on XC the other day, and I didn't see one member of staff between Darlington and Edinburgh - and all of the ticket gates were open. This doesn't surprise me in the slightest given the new ways of working with Coronavirus etc.

 

[Ianno87]

A slightly bizarre story has popped up in the press: it seems (quite reasonably IMO) that nobody wanted to disturb a chap who was assumed to be sleeping.

Described as "ticket inspectors"...but obviously at no point attempted to see his ticket to avoid having to make contact to wake him.

 

[Ianno87]

They probably stayed away.
The agonal breathing would be mistaken for snoring.

Which is why there is a delay in prompt treatment otherwise it's survivable if caught in time.

A doctor friend of mine told me that once agonal breathing is heard, there's little chance of doing anything successfully.

 

[221129]

Described as "ticket inspectors"...but obviously at no point attempted to see his ticket to avoid having to make contact to wake him.

No tickets are being checked on XC.

 

[swt_passenger]

I expect the media will have just written “ticket inspectors” as being synonymous with guard or train manager. It’s possible to be reading too much into it...

 

[pompeyfan]

I remember hearing about this, if I recall correctly it wasn’t a good day for them, believe an unrelated XC service discovered an injured person at Winchester.

should be noted that that majority of staff would love to be able to safely patrol their trains and deal with ill passengers, fare evasion etc but it’s just not possible at the moment.

 

[Vespa]

A doctor friend of mine told me that once agonal breathing is heard, there's little chance of doing anything successfully.

Pretty much, it sounds like a silent heart attack.

I've seen people go in various circumstance, you get to know the signs, you sort of get used to it.

 

[Mitchell Hurd]

I found about this what yesterday or the evening before. People might be quick to blame XC (I'm certainly not faulting anyone!) but the fact is this nobody's fault - this is just unfortunate.

 

[Bayum]

A doctor friend of mine told me that once agonal breathing is heard, there's little chance of doing anything successfully.

I wouldn’t say little... The death rattle can be heard at various points during a patient’s decline. I’ve heard it pre-arrest and during CPR. It can be seen as a ‘positive’ sign, as it’s one of the last efforts of the most innate system located in the brain stem trying to get oxygen into the body.
In out of hospital cardiac arrests, various statistics from the States have shown that 90% of these patients will die without prompt CPR. Up to 45% of patients who receive prompt and efficient CPR will survive. This increases

 

[driver9000]

Sadly he isn't the first and won't be the last on either a train or a bus nor is it unique to the current pandemic.

 

[Adlington]

Apart from the current virus distancing rules, is there a guideline of some sort telling guards how "physical" can they become when somebody doesn't respond to "may I see your ticket, sir/madam?". How to check whether the person in question is fast asleep/stubborn fare dodger/unconscious/dead without being accused of assault?

 

[LowLevel]

Apart from the current virus distancing rules, is there a guideline of some sort telling guards how "physical" can they become when somebody doesn't respond to "may I see your ticket, sir/madam?". How to check whether the person in question is fast asleep/stubborn fare dodger/unconscious/dead without being accused of assault?

Safety first. If you need to touch someone make sure you have a witness but it is permissible if necessary. I bang on the window with a t key first which is unbearable for all but the most committed of "sleepers".

 

[Adlington]

Thank you.
Using a T key as a wakeup tool is a neat idea

 

[Surreytraveller]

Sadly he isn't the first and won't be the last on either a train or a bus nor is it unique to the current pandemic.

I've known it happen on more than one occasion. One early morning arrival into a London Terminal on one occasion known for carrying various shift workers including railway, police and hospital staff a dead passenger went unnoticed.

 

[185143]

Thank you.
Using a T key as a wakeup tool is a neat idea

I can confirm it works!

Both as the person on the receiving end and the person using said T Key...

 

[djpontrack]

Thank you.
Using a T key as a wakeup tool is a neat idea

I’ve tapped the table a few times with a T key which usually works, but I’ve also gently tapped someone on the shoulder with a T key when doing an onboard check. It’s always good if you have witnesses especially if you’re trying to check a female passengers ticket.

 

[Edgeley]

In the Sun account of the incident the man was discovered by a cleaner at the depot. Even with a coronavirus regime, shouldn't there have been a walk-through of the train to check it was clear before going out of passenger service?

 

[221129]

In the Sun account of the incident the man was discovered by a cleaner at the depot. Even with a coronavirus regime, shouldn't there have been a walk-through of the train to check it was clear before going out of passenger service?

No. The sets are checked from the outside only with specific instructions to check the toilets if they appear engaged. I wouldn't believe anything you read in the Sun either.

 

[Swanny200]

I wouldn’t say little... The death rattle can be heard at various points during a patient’s decline. I’ve heard it pre-arrest and during CPR. It can be seen as a ‘positive’ sign, as it’s one of the last efforts of the most innate system located in the brain stem trying to get oxygen into the body.
In out of hospital cardiac arrests, various statistics from the States have shown that 90% of these patients will die without prompt CPR. Up to 45% of patients who receive prompt and efficient CPR will survive. This increases

My father died of cancer in November, luckily he messaged me an hour and a half before to say basically the end was coming, by time I got to the Marie Curie hospice I got all of 20 minutes before the death rattle started to occur, I never realised that was what it actually was until you said it, I think the rattle lasted all of 10 minutes before he was gone. Deaths I can imagine would be very easy to miss in these current climate, the amount of people self isolating who have no family and nobody nearby who have sadly passed away could still be missed until all this is over and people eventually chase them up.

 

[davetheguard]

Safety first. If you need to touch someone make sure you have a witness but it is permissible if necessary. I bang on the window with a t key first which is unbearable for all but the most committed of "sleepers".

Back in the day, metal ticket clippers were used for the same purpose, with equal success.

 

[pompeyfan]

No. The sets are checked from the outside only with specific instructions to check the toilets if they appear engaged. I wouldn't believe anything you read in the Sun either.

Bournemouth is operated by SWR, I’m near certain that SWR staff walk the train before the unit goes into the middle siding.

 

[221129]

Bournemouth is operated by SWR, I’m near certain that SWR staff walk the train before the unit goes into the middle siding.

Not on XC services they dont.

 

[pompeyfan]

Not on XC services they dont.

Ah fair enough thanks for clarifying, I do believe a cleaner does usually join the train, and the driver would need to change ends.

 

[221129]

Ah fair enough thanks for clarifying, I do believe a cleaner does usually join the train, and the driver would need to change ends.

The driver, self checks the unit from the outside of the train.