Farm worker's fatal cliff fall 'was tragic accident'

Wednesday 22 December 2021

The death of a "positive" and adventurous farm worker, who fell from cliffs at La Moye, was a tragic accident, an inquest has concluded.

32-year-old Mateusz Ruszczyk's body was found at the base of cliffs close to the prison on Tuesday 13 April, three days after he was last seen by a colleague at his farm accommodation in St. John.

His disappearance had prompted an extensive search by air, sea and land. 

The inquest heard that Mr Ruszczyk had been a popular and helpful individual who had enjoyed island life since he moved to Jersey from Poland at the beginning of 2019.

He loved to explore its bays, cliffs and headlands, particularly in the west of the island.

He had left his farm at around 09:00 on Saturday 10 April in his Volvo S60 car, not telling his roommate where he was going. 

When he failed to attend a health and safety course later that morning, his friends and colleagues began searching for him, including overnight.

He was reported missing to the police the following day. Two days later, his body was discovered by a drone operator around 200m from where his car had been found.

The inquest heard that his jacket pockets were turned inside out - suggesting he had withdrawn his hands rapidly.

A post-mortem examination also found vascular disease, which “may or may not have contributed to a loss of balance or concentration”.

There was, however, no evidence of any suicidal thoughts, mental illness or the involvement of a third party. 

In a written statement read out at the inquest, his roommate described Mr Ruszczyk as “a very positive and rational person, who had lots of spontaneous ideas about how to spend his time."

“He was always open minded and helpful with no problems with alcohol or drugs,” he added.

Relief Coroner Cyril Whelan said that all the evidence suggested that Mr Ruszczyk was “a happy individual who gave every indication that he enjoyed life to the full”. 

He said that his fatal injuries were consistent with a fall from a considerable height, which itself was purely accidental.