Nurse tried to revive Woolmer

2007-10-19 09:58

Jamaica - Several attempts to save the life of former Pakistan cricket coach Bob Woolmer were unsuccessful, a nurse told has the Coroner's Inquest.

Novelette Robinson, a registered nurse, who was assigned to the medical team for the Jamaica leg of the World Cup, said several attempts were made to save Woolmer's life after he was found in his hotel room unconscious on the morning of March 18.

Robinson said when she rushed to Woolmer's room she was surprised not to see him on his bed. He was found naked in the bathroom.

Before entering the bathroom, she said blood stains were seen on the bed.

She said she made her way into the bathroom, which first proved difficult because Woolmer's body was blocking the door.

"The first thing I felt for was the pulse, but there was none, then there was no response from the chest," she told coroner Patrick Murphy and the 11-member jury.

She said she administered CPR and chest compression, but "this did not work".

Robinson added that Dr. Asher Cooper arrived shortly after and he too administered CPR, this again failed.

She also told the inquest that the ambulance did not arrive at the hotel until about 11:40, almost one hour after she entered the Woolmer's room.

Television interview

The coach, whose team, the day before was eliminated from the World Cup by an embarrassing defeat to Ireland, was pronounced dead at the University Hospital of the West Indies.

Dr. Herb Elliott, in a television interview on Tuesday, said when he entered Woolmer's room, the coach was still alive. It is not clear if he arrived before or after the nurse, but he is expected to testify later at the inquest.

An autopsy report by government pathologist, Dr. Ere Seshiah, ruled that Woolmer died from asphyxia caused by manual strangulation. But another examination by Dr. Nathaniel Cary, of the Metropolitan Police in London, showed he died from heart failure.

In an interesting situation, the hotel's information systems manager Lorraine Taite, who also took the stand, told the inquest that the team's physiotherapist Maurice Stephenson's room was opposite Woolmer's, but requested to be relocated.

Stephenson reported that he could not take the noise that was coming from near by and thus his request was granted.

Taite said after he was relocated, the key (swipe card) was use to enter the same room he removed from, but could not say who would have re-entered the room.

She was unable to say if another guest was given that room. The inquest continues on Friday.

- AFP