Wirral teen Dale Fleckner electrocuted trying to find football, inquest toldWIRRAL teenager Dale Fleckner was killed trying to retrieve a football from a railway line, an inquest heard.
Dale, 16, of Cobden Court, Tranmere, was electrocuted after he touched the live third rail between Rock Ferry and Green Lane stations in July last year.
Last week, Wirral coroner Christopher Johnson recorded a verdict of death by misadventure.
Dale’s mum, Debbie Fleckner, supported by family and close friends, was visibly upset as she listened to the events surrounding the teenager’s death.
Robert Wynne, the driver of the Liverpool-bound train who saw Dale, said he at first thought the teen’s red Manchester United T-shirt was a fire extinguisher on the track.
It was only when he asked his train guard, David Hannan, to take a closer look that he was told the object “looked like a young child” and he stopped the train.
Mr Hannan got off and helped Dale’s brother Paul, who had run up the track to reach him, administer CPR until the police and paramedics arrived. Despite this, Dale was later pronoun- ced dead at hospital.
Speaking of Paul, Mr Hannan said: “I would like his parents to know he did his very best on the day to keep his brother alive. His parents should be very proud.”
THE WIRRAL NEWS
