Flood helper’s death mystery

Oct 4 2008 by Liz Hands, The Journal

AFATHER died of severe flu-like symptoms days after helping mop up during the recent floods.

The possibility that Adrian Ward died from Weil’s disease has been ruled out but the results of a post-mortem examination are still pending.

The 47-year-old died of multiple organ failure within days of being taken to hospital.

His widow moved to dispel fears he had contacted Weil’s disease, which can be transmitted through water containing the urine of rats or other wild animals.

Normally, symptoms begin between seven and 12 days after infection and it was noted that Adrian had helped in the aftermath of recent floods in his village of Wylam in Northumberland.

His widow Rowena, however, confirmed that blood tests had since been analysed and that Weil’s disease had been ruled out. The results of a post-mortem examination are still pending.

“We know he died suddenly after contracting an infection, but we don’t know what that infection is,” she said.

“His organs failed, but we don’t know what made that happen, and might never know. It’s just a very sad thing to happen to a really, really good guy.” Adrian, Rowena, their two-year-old daughter Rhiannon, and five-month-old son Gavin had been holidaying in Derbyshire when Adrian’s symptoms began.

His condition became progressively worse as they travelled home to Wylam on Friday, September 19, and by the Saturday, Rowena was so concerned she contacted NHS Direct.

“It got to the point where I had to take him to emergency care at Hexham on Saturday night, where he was stabilised before being taken by ambulance to Wansbeck critical care unit in the early hours of Sunday.

“They took a lot of blood tests, testing him for various infections to determine what treatment to give him.

“But in the end his body couldn’t hang on long enough and he died on Tuesday night at eight o’clock.”

Adrian, who is originally from Middlesbrough, had been living in Wylam for 10 years. He and Rowena married there in 2001 at St Oswin’s Church.

He had worked in IT with Northern Rock until being made redundant.

Adrian was well known in Wylam and supported local organisations such as the Playing Fields Association. He had been intending to help refurbish the village’s Falcon Centre.

• For stories about Morpeth, go to www.journallive.co.uk/morpeth.