"It doesn't seem real that my daughter could get into a bath and not get out alive"
A mum from Lancashire found solace in the findings of the Lancashire coroner who investigated the death of her daughter whose body was found in a boiling hot bath.
Single-mum Sarah Kelly, 39, was found dead in a bath of scalding water while staying at a hostel in Blackburn in December last year.
She had been seeking help for alcoholism and was staying in temporary accommodation when she returned from a night out and took a bath.
Sarah’s body was discovered around 13 hours later with the taps still pouring hot water into the overflowing bath.
Her death was referred to the Lancashire coroner and featured in this week’s episode of Cause of Death on Channel 5.
Grieving mum Christine was seeking answers after struggling to come to terms with how her ‘bubbly’ daughter’s life had “fallen apart in just two years”.
She told Cause of Death how Sarah had gone “downhill so fast” during the coronavirus lockdowns, when she was isolated and became addicted to alcohol.
“It started around the time of Covid. I think that had an impact. I think it was the isolation”, said Christine, who appeared on the documentary series on Wednesday evening.
“It was easier to drink, there was more time in the day and it filled up the gaps.
“She wasn’t herself anymore. She wasn’t the happy-go-lucky Sarah that we knew. She was much more withdrawn and her personality kind of shifted.
“It’s not long at all, is it? Two years, to go downhill so fast. It just seems impossible.”
Lancashire Police were called to investigate Sarah’s death as it was deemed ‘unexpected and sudden’. But no evidence of foul play was found and her death was referred to Lancashire’s Senior Coroner, Dr James Adeley to establish an exact cause of death.
“It just doesn’t seem possible that she can get in a bath and not get back out of it, and carry on living her life,” said mum Christine. “She was only 39. To go suddenly, and like that. It’s just mind boggling.”
“Our Sarah was always the funny one,” said Christine. “She was full of life and loved fun. That was the healthy, happy Sarah that we knew and loved.
“That was her life and it’s just gone. So it’s important we find out for her what happened. Find out her real story - what really happened to her.”
A post-mortem CT scan found no abnormalities in Sarah’s brain, leading Dr Adeley to request an invasive post-mortem examination.
Pathologist Dr Mark Sissons found that Sarah’s liver was ‘fatty’ and ‘yellow’, which he said was indicative of possible sudden cardiac death related to alcohol abuse.
Toxicology also found Sarah had a high blood alcohol level - 360mg per litre of blood - four and a half times over the legal driving maximum of 80mg per litre.
At her inquest in April, Dr Adeley concluded: “I believe she’s become drowsy, fallen asleep and become deeply unconscious, so that when she’s actually submerged under water she can’t respond and has drowned.
“The medical cause of death was found to be drowning and alcohol intoxication. Her period of suffering, if she had any, would have been extremely short.”
Heartbroken mum Christine said the coroner’s findings had provided her family with much-needed closure.
She said: “I’ll remember that bubbly girl who would love to get up and sing. I can let her go now and be in peace.”
You can watch the episode of Cause of Death on My 5 here.