Hero Gloucester builder killed when wall collapsed
A heroic builder from Gloucester who gained notoriety after saving the life of a friend stranded in Ukraine died after suffering a fatal accident at work. Andrew Ponting, also known as Fred, had been living and working in South France where he died on April 9.
An inquest into his death recently opened at Exeter[1] Coroner’s Court. It was heard that the 59-year-old was working near his home in the town of Montaigu-de-Quercy when a wall he was working on collapsed and crushed him.
It is claimed he died while working alone. Paramedics freed him from under the bricks in the town of Montaigu-de-Quercy but were unable to resuscitate him. Local police are said to have opened an official investigation into the incident.
Opening the inquest, senior coroner Philip Spinney said: “The circumstances of his death were Andrew was demolishing a wall when it appears to have collapsed on him. He was taken to hospital where he was sadly pronounced deceased.”
A full inquest will be held into his death at a later date. Andrew was born in Gloucester. His funeral notice states he was ‘a dearly loved son and brother’.
His funeral service is to be held at The South Hams[4] Natural Burial Ground in Aveton Gifford on Saturday, June 1, at 2pm. According to The Mirror[5], Andrew was pulled from the rubble after a wall suddenly collapsed on him while working in the south of France.
Local mayor Robert Alazard told The Connexion: “It was a work accident. He was working when a wall of concrete blocks fell on him.”
According to The Connexion[6], Andrew had lived in Montaigu-de-Quercy for more than 25 years
Andrew was previously widely praised by local media in France after driving across Europe from France to Ukraine to save the life of a friend stranded in a hospital after the Russian invasion. In March 2022, he drove his pick-up truck across Europe to Ukraine to save his friend Oleg. He embarked on the dangerous journey with Oleg’s sister, based in Amsterdam, to get him out of a Kyiv hospital.
References
- ^ Exeter (www.devonlive.com)
- ^ Jake Jones: Searches continue for Gloucestershire man who vanished after falling into river (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ Morrisons loses fight against convictions over epileptic worker’s death (www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk)
- ^ South Hams (www.devonlive.com)
- ^ The Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
- ^ According to The Connexion (www.connexionfrance.com)