A freak accident saw the last night of a holiday in Florida, USA, turn to tragedy for a Brentwood couple.

Company director Robert Cairns, 53, of Seven Arches Road, fell from a hotel balcony in early November and died from his severe injuries three weeks later in hospital.

Mrs Cairns' wife Janice Cairns told an inquest into her husband's death that she had heard him desperately trying to grab onto the balcony rails and gain a foothold as he fell.

The couple were due to fly back to the UK the day after the accident on November 5, 2001.

Coroner's officer Pc Philip Sitch read Mrs Cairns' statement for the inquest.

Pc Sitch said Mr and Mrs Cairns had been out with friends for dinner and were returning to their hotel around 8.45pm on November 4, 2001, when Mr Cairns looked over the balcony into the hotel car park.

Mrs Cairns said she thought her husband must have been looking at where the car was parked for when he brought the suitcases down to be packed into the car.

Pc Sitch read that Mr Cairns fell over the balcony into the hotel garden despite attempts to grab hold of the balcony rails.

Mrs Cairns attributed her husband's fall to the fact that it had been raining that night and Mr Cairns was wearing new shoes, Pc Sitch read.

An ambulance took Mr Cairns to hospital and he was later airlifted to another hospital. He sustained multiple injuries including severe brain damage, broken pelvis and shattered eye socket.

Several operations were performed on Mr Cairns, but he died from his injuries a few weeks after his fall.

A post mortem examination found Mr Cairns' death was caused by blunt force trauma to the head caused by a fall from a height.

Coroner Caroline Beasley-Murray recorded a verdict of accidental death and sent the court's sympathy to Mrs Cairns and her family.

Published Wednesday, March 6, 2002