Norfolk GP died after accident on cycling holiday
- Published
Dr Nicholas Ireland regularly cycled and went mountaineering and had been looking forward to his ninth trek in Nepal, the inquest heard
A fit and active retired GP died after he "cartwheeled" off his bike and over the edge of a trail, an inquest heard.
Dr Nicholas Ireland, 76, of Freethorpe, Norfolk - described as in "excellent health" - was on a cycling holiday in The Netherlands on 9 June when he lost control and fell 1.5m (5ft).
He suffered a spinal injury and went into cardiac arrest, which caused brain damage, and died 12 days later.
Norfolk coroner Jacqueline Lake concluded his death was an accident.
The inquest heard Dr Ireland, who retired from Acle Medical Centre after 42 years in 2018, regularly cycled and went on skiing and mountain-trekking holidays.
He and a group of doctor friends had covered 40 miles the previous day and on the day of the accident they were on a busy cycling trail near Overveen, west of Amsterdam.
The ground is level with the top of a ha-ha wall on one side, but it drops away on the other as in this example at Heaton Park, Manchester
Dr Mike Baker said he saw Dr Ireland move away from the path and strike a parapet at the top of a ha-ha wall.
Dr Ireland went over the handlebars, cartwheeled over the edge and landed beside a road below.
His friends found him not breathing and resuscitated him before he was taken to hospital in Amsterdam.
'Expected to live many years'
Daughter Jessica Fisher said she and her brother, Charles, agreed to remove treatment when told it was likely their father was paralysed and brain-damaged.
She said Dr Ireland had had to avoid an oncoming cyclist who was overtaking a family on bicycles - a matter that was not mentioned by the coroner.
Dr Ireland had cared for his wife Ann until her death in January 2019, just five months before his own
He had mentioned to a friend on the holiday that he "expected to live for many more years" as he was so fit and took no medication.
Mrs Lake said she would write to authorities in The Netherlands after Ms Fisher asked if anything could be done about the ha-ha wall to avoid further accidents.