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Chatham dad Daniel Lee Scott 'choked on chunk of meat' in Goa, inquest hears

Mystery surrounds the death of a devoted young dad who reportedly died with food trapped in his throat hours after playing on the beach with his toddler.

Daniel Lee Scott, partner Jade and Jack, aged two, had started their luxury holiday in the paradise resort of Goa in India when tragedy struck.

The family had spent the day at a water park where Jack enjoyed the attractions and then headed onto the beach to make sandcastles and have lunch at a beach bar.

The family on their first holiday
The family on their first holiday

When they arrived back at their hotel at about 11pm, Jade put her son to bed while Daniel went out to get some cold drinks to take back to their room.

He said he would be about an hour, but that was the last time, Jade, 30 saw her partner alive.

The next thing she knew was when she was woken up by police officers banging on the door saying Daniel was sick and she needed to get to hospital.

When she arrived, the 31-year-old heating engineer was dead and his body covered in a sheet.

The shocked mum, of Joiner's Court, Chatham,immediately called Daniel's parents who flew out the next day.

A post-mortem examination revealed a chunk of meat had been found trapped in his vocal cords, blocking his air passage. The cause of death was asphyxia.

Jack makes sandcastles with dad Daniel Lee Scott
Jack makes sandcastles with dad Daniel Lee Scott

His heartbroken family flew his body home where a second investigation was carried out.

But the pathologist was unable to reach a definitive conclusion of how he died as vital organs were missing and there were no toxicology reports.

The situation was made worse when assistant coroner Katrina Hepburn, speaking at the inquest on Monday, said she had "limited information" of the case.

She told the hearing at Archbishop's Palace, Maidstone: "Much of the reports are handwritten and I found difficulty in reading some of them."

She apologised to his family in advance for not being able to answer all their questions.

A statement from Jade read to the court said they had stopped off at a beach shack where Daniel had a chicken curry, a couple of beers and soft drinks.

He had not shown any sign of feeling unwell. Although he was taking medication for the skin complaint psoriasis, he had not had any side effects.

His parents tracked down the roadside spot where he died and the motorcyclist who had found him and called an ambulance twice between 11.40pm and 11.50pm on February 25.

Daniel Lee Scott with his son Jack, two
Daniel Lee Scott with his son Jack, two

He told them Daniel had been making some noises. Paramedics arrived just after midnight.

He was cremated at Vinters Park Crematorium, Maidstone, on April 25 but his father told the coroner they were upset because many of his organs were still in India.

He said: "We want his body parts back, but we have been told this could take up to three years.

"The family feel strongly about this. We feel we have not really laid him to rest."

Ms Hepburn said as the second post mortem had proved inconclusive, she had to accept the first autopsy carried out abroad.

She added: "It's possible when he went out he may have purchased food in town."

A conclusion of accidental death was recorded.

A tribute from the family said: "Danny was a devoted father to his son Jack. He was a hard-working dedicated family man.

"Danny would take his family on holiday at least twice a year.

"He wanted to show his son the world. Jack is just two but has already been to Turkey, Thailand, France, Majorca, and finally Goa.

"He was already researching his next two trips which would have been Seville and the LA to Las Vegas.

"Our hearts are broken."

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