“Much loved” oyster farmer’s death after tractor fall was tragic accident

Thursday 08 April 2021

The death of a “much loved” oyster farmer, who suffered “catastrophic, non-survivable” head injuries when he fell 15ft from a côtil onto the road below alongside a tractor he was using, was a tragic accident, an inquest has ruled.

John Alan Le Seelleur (33) died “peacefully” on Thursday 28 May in the hospital’s critical care unit with his parents by his bedside after the fatal fall on Mont des Ormes in St. Martin.

Earlier that day, Mr Le Seelleur had been using a John Deere tractor to move cages of wet oyster bags in preparation for the following day on his father’s farm on the headland overlooking St. Catherine's Bay.

A colleague had been working alongside him, but was on their lunch break when Mr Le Seelleur fell from the côtil, ending up next to the tractor, which landed on its roof and blocked the road.

An inquest was opened in June to understand how the fall happened, but not allocate blame. However, it was adjourned until yesterday so that further expert investigations could take place. 

They revealed that there appeared to be no fault with the tractor, which was described as being in “good and roadworthy condition”.

Pictured: The accident happened on Mont des Ormes. (Google Maps)

As there were no witnesses, it was initially believed that Mr Le Seelleur had been inside the tractor when it fell.

However, analysis by forensic collision investigator DS Robert Manners suggested that he may have instead been struck by the forks of the tractor while removing loads from it. This may have caused the vehicle to become unbalanced, tipping backwards and knocking his head, with both then falling onto the road below. 

This appeared to explain the deep wound to his head, which Consultant Histopathologist Dr Miklos Perenyei, who carried out a post-mortem, said did not appear to have been caused by Mr Le Seelleur's head striking the inside of the vehicle. His examinations also concluded that there were no substances in Mr Le Seelleur's system other than the medications given by medical professionals after his fall.

The inquest also heard from two islanders who stopped at the scene to help. The first was a passer-by driving home after enjoying a walk with a friend.

She said she was shocked to find the road blocked by the green and yellow vehicle. She recalled being “scared it was going to tip over” and said that it was emitting a “noise so loud it was incredible”. As she approached, she saw Mr Le Seelleur, who was breathing but did not appear to be conscious, and called 999.

Pictured: Tributes left at the site of the accident last year.

She then spoke to a driver of a van approaching the area shortly after. It emerged he was a first-aider, and knew Mr Le Seelleur and his father. He was able to turn off the tractor’s engine, and told Mr Le Seelleur that an ambulance and his father were on the way.

Mr Le Seelleur was "rushed" to hospital and taken to the critical care unit. Intensive Care Doctor Paul Hughes told the inquest that specialists from Jersey and Southampton agreed that his injuries were not survivable – even if he had surgery. He described the case as “extremely tragic” and “unfortunate”.

In the closing minutes of the inquest, Mr Le Seelleur’s family praised the efforts of those that tried to help him, and remembered him as a “beautiful person” who was “much loved”.

Having concluded that Mr Le Seelleur’s death was due to “catastrophic, non-survivable head injuries”, Relief Coroner Advocate Cyril Whelan told his family that it was a “horrible thing to have happened” and that they had the “genuine sympathy of everyone.”