A RETIRED butcher choked to death on an “exceptionally large” piece of meat while eating a roast dinner, an inquest heard.
Albert Hartgen, 76, was tucking into the meal just days before Christmas when the tragedy unfolded.
Albert Hartgen choked to death while eating a roast dinner[/caption]
The inquest heard Albert’s airway became obstructed and he passed away on December 17 last year.
Senior Somerset Coroner Samantha Marsh said: “He was eating a roast dinner when he began to choke, having put an exceptionally large piece of meat in his mouth.”
The coroner ruled Albert’s horrific death as accidental.
Albert ran a family butcher shop with wife Heather for more than 30 years before he retired in 2017.
Heather described her late husband as “well known and well liked” and said that “everybody knew what kind of a man he was.”
Albert was also a longtime volunteer with the RNLI and was commended for his bravery when in 1975 he helped to rescue three people from a sinking yacht.
Paying tribute to his dad, son Ross said: “Albert was at home on the sea and took every opportunity to go fishing over the nearly fifty years as a charter skipper.
“Having served as the last rescue swimmer in the RNLI at Minehead in the late 1970s as well as running a local butcher, his real passion was sea fishing which he shared with so many people over the years.
“He was a loving husband to Heather, father to Clare and myself, stepfather to Lee, grandad to Annaliese, Corey and Bodhi and will be missed by so many.
“May you rest in peace and may fair winds blow. Sleep easy Dad and you were always the best.”
As well as his lengthy service for the RNLI, Albert also raised money for the charity by carrying out endurance feats.
These included two charity swims between Minehead and the nearby coastal town of Watchet.
