A PENSIONER described as being ‘independent and well known in the local community’ died in hospital on Boxing Day after going to buy a paper from his local newsagent, an inquest heard.

Baden Baxter died aged 85 at Furness General Hospital on December 26 2022.

Cockermouth Coroners Court heard Mr Baxter had a daily routine of attending the post office on Market Street in Dalton around 5:30 am every morning to use the cash machine before buying a paper from a local newsagent.

He was found by a member of the public leaning against the wall of a betting shop feeling breathless and unable to stand at around 6am, the hearing was told.

The court was told Mr Baxter was usually the newsagent owner's first customer of the day but he had not seen him that morning.  

The court heard a member of the public went to collect his newspapers on his behalf and asked the shopkeeper to make a cup of tea to try to keep Mr Baxter warm.

He returned to Mr Baxter but soon after asked him to ring for an ambulance as he was unable to get Mr Baxter to stand up.

An ambulance arrived at the scene approximately 40 minutes later.

The court heard Mr Baxter was well dressed in warm clothing but had a low temperature as it was still very cold outside.

He presented to paramedics as being initially confused and was unable to say how long he had been on the floor, the court heard.

A paramedic identified signs he could have been having a stroke whilst being transported to Furness General Hospital as he was struggling to use his left arm.

The court was told his condition then ‘rapidly changed’ as paramedics were pre-alerting hospital staff of his current condition.

The inquest heard Mr Baxter then became unresponsive and went into cardiac arrest a couple of minutes after paramedics had departed the scene around 7:30 am.  

Doctors in the emergency department continued CPR for 40 minutes before eventually deciding to stop resuscitation at 8:23 am.

The court heard Mr Baxter had contacted 111 and Market Street Medical Practice on Christmas Day complaining of abdominal pain.

He was given an appointment at the emergency department at 7:30 pm but did not attend.

In an antecedent statement read into the court record, his son described how his father was ‘quite a private person, who lived independently and who was well known in the local community.

Coroner Nicholas Shaw said he believed that Mr Baxter’s kidneys had not been ‘working very well for some time’ in the build-up to his death following high blood level results.

As a result, he offered a short-form conclusion that Mr Baxter died from the combined effects of acute renal failure and hypothermia caused by being outside for a significant period of time on a cold morning.