Grape choke inquest: Rescue teams 'tried hard' to save girl

A rescue helicopter team who responded to a six-year-old girl choking on a grape "tried as hard as we could" to save her, an inquest has heard.

Jasmine Lapsley was on holiday in Morfa Nefyn, Gwynedd, when she collapsed after eating a grape in August 2014.

The Caernarfon inquest heard Jasmine, from Liverpool, was flown to hospital in Bangor where she died.

Ex-Raf Flt Sgt Peter Wood said the callout was "extremely distressing".

Mr Wood said the scene on his arrival was one of "an extreme atmosphere of stress".

He added: "I've never been to a paediatric case of this magnitude. But the two men in the ambulance didn't seem flustered. They appeared in control and professional."

Jasmine had been on holiday with her family in Morfa Nefyn

He described how Jasmine was not breathing and a paramedic inserted a tube into her airway.

Mr Wood expressed concern it had vomit in it and used a stethoscope to check the tube had been correctly placed.

He said he wanted to do a test which monitors carbon dioxide leaving the lungs, but was told the ambulance did not have the equipment for it.

Mr Wood told the hearing he carried Jasmine to the helicopter and how, on arrival at hospital, doctors removed a "large grape" from her throat. She was later pronounced dead.

Fighting back tears as he spoke, he said: "We tried as hard as we could to save her.

"If there can be one benefit from this hearing, it must be that future lives can be saved. I will do all I can to make sure that happens."