St Asaph: Two-year-old boy died after choking on banana

A mother has described her frantic efforts to save her two-year-old son as he choked on a piece of banana.

Dylan John James Greig died in hospital after the incident at his home in St Asaph, Denbighshire, on 27 July.

His mother Danielle Butterley told an inquest in Ruthin she had given him the piece of banana just before bedtime instead of his bottle.

She said she left the room for no more than 30 seconds, returning to find her son lying on his back.

She patted his back and "was trying anything" to revive him before police and paramedics arrived, the inquest heard.

"I quickly realised something was wrong. He was flapping his arms around and I could see he was choking," she recalled in a statement read at the hearing.

"I was trying anything. I can't describe the sound that came from him."

Ms Butterley called 999 and was given advice by ambulance control on how to help Dylan.

She said she found a piece of banana in her son's throat, which was "completely stuck fast and wasn't moving".

Police officers were called to the scene, along with paramedics. It was only when PC Brian Lloyd Williams arrived at the house that he realised the child was his nephew.

In his statement, PC Williams, whose wife is Ms Butterley's sister, said he was "incredibly shocked" on entering the house to find his sister-in-law "carrying out chest compressions on my two-year-old nephew".

He led Ms Butterley from the room while paramedics tried to resuscitate Dylan, who was then taken to Ysbyty Glan Clwyd hospital but died later that evening.

"I will never be able to forget that night," PC Williams added.

Having read Ms Butterley's statement, senior coroner John Gittins told her: "I can't imagine for one second how difficult that must have been for you."

Recording a conclusion of accidental death caused by hypoxic cardiac arrest due to choking on a banana, Mr Gittings said the banana had been given to Dylan in an "entirely appropriate" and normal way.

"This was a tragic set of events that ultimately led to the loss of this two-year-old," he added.