Additional details concerning the death of former European Junior champion Tazmin Pugh are coming to light almost a year after the British swimmer’s death at the age of 18.
As we reported on October 30th of last year, Pugh and her 21-year-old boyfriend Josh Kirk were found dead inside their Cotheridge, Worcester barn after a fire was seen and reported at the site. Just this week it was made public that the inquest has determined that the fire started when an electrical extension reel overheated as a result of an overloaded socket.
Per The Scotsman, Pugh and Kirk had arrived home from a party where they had taken a cocktail of recreational drugs before falling asleep. After the reel overheated, wood chips in the walls caused the inferno to rapidly spread and within minutes the couple was overcome by the deadly fumes. Metal sheeting in the walls also meant there was a lack of ventilation which created a ‘deadly oven effect.’
Worcestershire Coroner David Reid said the couple had taken Phenazepam – a Russian equivalent to M-Cat – along with Amphetamine and Ketamine, which “may well have affected their ability to react to the fire.” (The Scotsman)
The deaths were ruled accidental as a result of the inquest. Reid said, “Most significant was the amount of carboxyhemoglobin. Carboxyhemoglobin is found in the body when carbon monoxide is breathed in.
“The cause of death given in this case is one, the effects of the fire and two, mixed drug induction.”
Pugh won 6 medals for England as a 15-year-old at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa. She took bronze in the 200 fly, 200 IM and 400 IM, silvers as part of the 4×200 free relay and 4×100 medley relay and bronze as part of the 4×100 free relay. The next year, she won 200 back gold for Great Britain at the 2016 European Junior Championships, plus silver as part of the 4×200 free relay.
Very sad. I have to say I take issue with the coroner saying that there were two causes of death. The fire is the cause of death. What drugs were taken are irrelevant. It’s funny that coroners can be vague when they want (to pretend suicide is an accident) but can’t stop themselves from shaming someone for taking some k.
She was an amazing girl and will be sadly missed by everyone who knew her and all in the British Swimming community. Always smiling, always positive.Rest in peace.
That sounds like a horrible horrible way to die.
RIP