A SCOTS nurse died in a freak accident after being kicked in the chest by her horse.
Sam Young, 58, originally from Ayrshire, suffered a ruptured heart and died after her horse suddenly bolted and lashed out kicking her at a farm near her home.
An inquest into her death heard paramedics rushed to Birch Park Farm in Baschurch, Shropshire on June 19 this year.
But, despite desperate CPR attempts, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
Ms Young had been anurse for more than 12 years at Kilmarnock’s Crosshouse Hospital after completing a nursing degree at Glasgow University.
As well as being a Major in the British Army Reserve, and a folk singer, Ms Young was serving as interim chief nursing officer at Shropshire’s Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital at the time of her death.
The inquest was told the Glasgow-born nurse had been walking her horse from the stables when tragedy struck.
Another rider, Georgina Davidson, told the inquest she was following behind when the horse suddenly bolted.
In a statement, she said: “She ended up behind the horse. The horse kicked out with both legs. She fell to the floor and the horse galloped away.”
Shropshire Coroner’s Court heard Ms Young was not moving, so Ms Davidson rushed to her aid while still holding onto her own horse.
She called an ambulance and alerted Ms Young’s partner, Richard ‘Roo’ Terry, who was back at the stables.
Ms Young was still breathing initially, and Ms Davidson was advised by call-handlers to put her in the recovery position.
When Ms Davidson said Ms Young had stopped breathing, she commenced CPR while Mr Terry held her head. She tried to give life-saving treatment for 15 minutes before paramedics arrived and took over.
An air ambulance and road ambulance both attended, but Ms Young had suffered a serious bleed to her heart from the kick. She was pronounced dead at 7.53pm.
A pathologist found she had “significant” internal bleeding from a rupture to her heart consistent with blunt trauma to the chest.
Police confirmed there was no third-party involvement and no suspicious circumstances.
RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital / SWNSGlasgow-born nurse Sam Young died from her injuries after the horse kicked out[/caption]
Deputy coroner Heath Westerman recorded a conclusion of accidental death.
The inquest heard Ms Young was still serving as a British Army Reserve Major at the time.
A statement from her daughter Amy Hunter said her mother was born in Glasgow on May 30, 1967, and grew up in Ayrshire.
Mrs Hunter said: “She was very passionate about this job. She was very creative and talented..she loved horses and enjoyed playing polo.”
She added her mother loved spending time in her native Scotland and had travelled widely, including to India, Australia, South Africa, Kenya and Egypt.
Mrs Hunter added: “She was my best friend and I was hers. I will miss her dearly.”
At the time of her death, staff at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital said they were “truly saddened”.
Chief executive Stacey Keegan said: “Sam has worked at the Trust for a number of years in senior nursing positions, so this news has come as a huge shock to colleagues across the organisation.
“She was an excellent and supportive colleague, and was proud of the work we do here and of the colleagues that deliver such exceptional care.
“Sam had extensive senior level experience within primary, secondary and community health care in Scotland, England and the Military, and was still serving as a Senior Officer in the British Army Reserve.
“She was held in extremely high regard by everyone at RJAH thanks to her excellent clinical knowledge, her absolute dedication to patient care, but most notably the quality of her character.
“She was a kind, fun and compassionate person. We will miss her enormously.”
Ms Young moved to Shropshire in 2017 and sang in a folk band called Beltane.
A tribute on the band’s Facebook page said: “We are unbearably heartbroken to have to share the news that our beautiful, talented and inspirational singer, Sam has passed away.
“Our sadness is beyond words and our thoughts and deepest sympathies go to Roo and all her friends and family.”
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