A mother of two died after eating dozens of marshmallows at a fundraiser for her son’s rugby club, according to a coroner’s court hearing in Wales on Wednesday, Sept. 11.
37-year-old Natalie Buss was taking part in a contest to “fit the most marshmallows” into her mouth when she collapsed and died at Beddau Rugby Football Club in October 2023, according to a pre-inquest hearing in the town of Pontypridd, multiple news outlets reported, including the BBC and U.K. newspapers The Times and The Telegraph.
The accountant — whose eldest son was reportedly a member of the club — had been called onstage by DJ and children’s entertainment Christopher Gibbons, 34, to take part in the 60-second competition, The Times reported.
After swallowing dozens of pink and white marshmallows, she is said to have left the stage and collapsed in a corridor, officials reportedly said in the pre-inquest.
An off-duty nurse and other guests tried to help Buss by using a defibrillator from a nearby school, added The Telegraph. Despite this, paramedics were unable to clear Buss’ airways, the outlet added.
Pontypridd coroners’ court was informed that Gibbons — who has been interviewed by police — had over 15 years of experience as a DJ and entertainer and that he had hosted hundreds of similar parties, reported The Times.
Per The Times, assistant coroner for South Wales Gavin Knox said the inquest would “focus on risk assessment and risk mitigation relating to the game,” by assessing what happened, cause of death and the “appropriateness” of the club’s entertainment.
In a Facebook statement posted at the time, Beddau Rugby Football Club said the community was “heartbroken” by the incident.
“On Saturday night we lost a very dear friend who will be sadly missed. Everybody associated with Beddau RFC and within the community are nothing less than devastated at the weekend’s tragic accident and we struggle to comprehend the sense of loss people are feeling,” they added, reported Wales Online.
“That said we must acknowledge that our loss pales into insignificance in comparison to the loss of a lady who was a wonderful wife, mother, and daughter to what was an absolutely tragic turn of events. As a club we send out our sincerest, heartfelt condolences to all the family, the close friends, and to all those that this has so badly impacted.”