Blind HIV charity volunteer died after being hit by train when he fell off platform: Inquest concludes lack of tactile pavement and paramedic communication mix-up led to tragedy as partner pays tribute to his ‘rock’

• Cleveland Gervais struck by a train after falling off platform at Eden Park station
• There was no tactile paving or other warning to alert him before accidental fall
• He was alive when emergency services arrived, but they had to wait trackside 
• Came after Network Rail failed to inform paramedics that power to tracks was off
• Inquest has concluded lack of safety warnings on platform contributed to death
• Mr Gervais’ partner has also now called for safer stations in tribute to his ‘rock’ 

An inquest into the death of a blind HIV charity volunteer who died after being struck by a train when he fell of a platform has concluded that a lack of tactile paving and a communication mix-up led to the tragedy – as his partner pays tribute to his ‘rock’. 

Cleveland Gervais, 53, was struck by a train at Eden Park station in south east London shortly after 7pm on February 26, 2020.

He was still alive when emergency services arrived at the scene, but he was left without ‘crucial’ clinical care for a further 16 minutes while paramedics stood trackside awaiting confirmation that power to the tracks had been turned off.

But Mr Gervais suffered a cardiac arrest and died when before he was eventually rescued from underneath the carriage of the train.

An inquest into his death at South London Coroner’s Court earlier heard how power to the tracks had been turned off 14 minutes earlier, but Network Rail failed to inform paramedics at the station.

And now a jury has concluded that a lack of warning surface on the platform, such as tactile paving commonly found at train stations, had ‘more than minimally contributed’ to his death.

Mr Gervais, an HIV counsellor who regularly used public transport, lived in Lambeth, south London, and required the use of a walking stick due to having six per cent vision in one eye and no sight in the other.

Cleveland Gervais, 53, was hit by a train when he fell off the platform edge at Eden Park station in south east London shortly after 7pm on February 26, 2020

Sekha Hall, his partner for almost two decades, paid tribute describing him as ‘a loving family man’ who was his ‘rock’.

Speaking after the inquest, he said: ‘Cleveland was a kind, generous and loving family man who had incredible determination and never let his disabilities stop him from getting on with his life.

‘He was always helping other people and had a great sense of humour.

‘We were together for over 19 years and we loved each other very much. He was my rock and I am lost without him.

‘I am grateful for the jury’s careful deliberations and welcome their findings that the lack of tactile paving, or any other adjustments for blind and visually impaired people, caused Cleveland’s death.

‘Cleveland’s death was huge blow to me and all that knew him.

‘I hope that from his death lessons will be learned and that rail stations will become a safer places for those with visual impairments.’

He also called for train stations to be made safer for disabled passengers.

The inquest earlier heard that Mr Gervais fell from platform one at 7.05pm, but it was not until 7.28pm that paramedics were able to access the tracks due to delays ascertaining whether they were live.

The woman who made the initial 999 call – two minutes after Mr Gervais was struck by the train – said he had been talking to her until emergency services arrived. 

But he was not verbally responsive when paramedic Sean Warner spoke to him, only showing signs of ‘laboured breathing’.

By the time emergency services had received confirmation that the power was off, Mr Gervais was no longer breathing and he had gone into cardiac arrest.  

His cause of death was later recorded as multiple traumatic injuries sustained by the collision with the train.

Network Rail knew at 7.07pm that someone was trapped under the train and the power was switched off, but this message was not conveyed to emergency services.

Instead, first responders only confirmed that the power was off when a Rail Incident Officer arrived on the scene at 7.21pm to test the live rail with specialist equipment.

Daniel Matthews, control operations manager for Network Rail, was asked by Coroner Catherine Wood why it did not tell all emergency services that the power was off.

He replied: ‘I can’t explain why they didn’t or why that wasn’t done at the time.’

He added: ‘Potentially the team should have done that.

‘I can’t comment on why the team didn’t consider calling British Transport Police back to say, “this is the latest update”.

He also said that, according to protocol, the London Ambulance Service should have notified Network Rail that they were on their way to the incident – but this did not happen.

At the conclusion of the evidence, the coroner asked the jury: ‘Did the absence of tactile paving cause or contribute to the death of Mr Gervais?’

An inquest into the death of Mr Gervais concluded yesterday, with a jury finding that a lack of tactile paving contributed to his death

Mr Gervais’ partner of two decades, Sekha Hall (pictured), has called for stations to be made safer for disabled passengers

Rescue efforts were delayed for 16 minutes due to confusion among emergency service crews over whether power to the tracks had been switched off 

A foreman replied: ‘Yes. Had there been tactile paving, Mr Gervais would have been aware of his proximity to the edge of the platform.’

Ms Wood then asked whether there were other measures that could have been taken to prevent Mr Gervais’s death in the absence of tactile paving such as platform announcements.

‘Yes, because in the absence of tactile paving there are measures that could have been taken to prevent Mr Gervais’ death,’ the jury spokesperson replied.

The jury also decided that the actions of the Rail Incident Officer led to an avoidable delay that contributed to Mr Gervais’ death.

All the findings were agreed upon unanimously by the jury. 

Matt Stringer, Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) chief executive, said Mr Gervais’ death was not an isolated incident.

He added: ‘We welcome this week’s inquest as an opportunity for essential lessons to be learned, so that such a senseless tragedy never happens again.

‘Cleveland’s death was not an isolated incident. We are aware of several similar occurrences where the lack of tactile paving may have contributed to blind or partially sighted people falling onto railway tracks.

‘Tactile paving is not just an accessibility measure, it is fundamental to the health and safety of passengers and pedestrians.

‘There should be no train platforms without tactile paving.’

Mr Stringer also welcomed Network Rail’s recent announcement that it plans to speed up the installation of tactile paving on all British train platforms, but added that this is still subject to funding from the Department for Transport.

He urged the department’s Rail minister Wendy Morton to confirm the funding ‘as soon as possible’.

Mr Gervais, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, had been living with HIV for more than 30 years and was well known in the local community.

Kate Egerton, solicitor at Leigh Day who represented his partner Mr Hall, said: ‘We have heard how Cleveland was an outgoing and sociable man who enjoyed travelling within London to meet his friends independently.

‘He should have been safe to do this but his inquest this week has sadly heard that the lack of tactile paving at Eden Park station, and lack of any risk mitigation measures, made it a dangerous place for him and anyone else with visual impairments.’

She added: ‘It was concerning to hear that despite national guidance on tactile paving being in place since 1998, that Network Rail do not consider that they have any legal duties to install it across the network.

‘While we understand that plans for installing tactile paving across the rail network have been accelerated following Cleveland’s death, it is unacceptable that platforms are not consistently safe for passengers with disabilities.’

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