1
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Death is rarely
the end of the story.

2
00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:11,639
For Dr Richard Shepherd,
it's where the story begins.

3
00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:12,999
SIREN WAILS

4
00:00:13,000 --> 00:00:14,999
'Ambulance Service,
is the patient breathing?'

5
00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,799
His work has taken him
from the headlines...

6
00:00:17,800 --> 00:00:20,679
Human remains had been found
that morning.

7
00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,759
...to the cases
that never made the news.

8
00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:25,959
Someone's lost a brother.
Someone's lost a relative.

9
00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:28,119
There are a whole series
of questions

10
00:00:28,120 --> 00:00:30,879
why someone died so suddenly.

11
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He just was here one minute
and then gone the next.

12
00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,479
Every investigation begins
with the evidence.

13
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We take a sample from the blood.

14
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Each conclusion must then be tested
and challenged...

15
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What if, what if, what if?

16
00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:47,719
...because the first answer
is rarely the right one.

17
00:00:47,720 --> 00:00:49,479
I was able to ensure
there's no criminality

18
00:00:49,480 --> 00:00:50,639
associated with the death.

19
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The heart simply stopped.

20
00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:00,959
Every case asks two questions -
how and why?

21
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We wanted to get
the record set straight

22
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and the facts to be right.

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The body answers the first.

24
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Science must answer the rest.

25
00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:31,959
Ed was my first-born.

26
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We were just the closest from...
from him being little, really.

27
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Ed was just everything to me.

28
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My baby.

29
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He were just such a good boy,
never any trouble.

30
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He was always laughing, always fun.

31
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He loved his brothers.

32
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He was like the father figure
to his brothers, really, Ed was.

33
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:11,639
They used to do a Boxercise class
at the local gym.

34
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You could bring kids,
so I just used to take them along.

35
00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,839
And as soon as he set foot
in that gym and saw, like,

36
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:21,879
all the posters of the champions
that they'd had, that was it.

37
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He'd made his mind up.

38
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"That's what I'm gonna do.
I love it."

39
00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:32,639
Everything we did was, like,
eat, sleep and breathe boxing.

40
00:02:32,640 --> 00:02:35,679
His fitness was unbelievable,
so you couldn't keep up with him.

41
00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:38,239
He'd weigh you down
and then just end up beating you up.

42
00:02:38,240 --> 00:02:40,719
CHUCKLES
But that's how he was.

43
00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:41,959
LIGHT APPLAUSE

44
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The winner by unanimous decision...
CROWD SHOUTS

45
00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,919
...Bilbey...
CROWD ROARS

46
00:02:47,920 --> 00:02:52,199
By age 17, Ed Bilbey
has been declared the winner

47
00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:55,960
in nine under-18
amateur boxing contests.

48
00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,559
Oh, it's never been a hobby for Ed.

49
00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:02,919
He always used to say, "I give it
100% and then a bit more."

50
00:03:02,920 --> 00:03:03,959
And he used to say to me,

51
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"Mum, I'm gonna be a world champion,
I am."

52
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SHOUTING

53
00:03:08,320 --> 00:03:09,680
Come on, lad.

54
00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:12,480
Go on, Bilbey.

55
00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,119
On the 24th of March, 2017,

56
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Ed stepped into the ring
for his first title fight,

57
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:26,759
competing for the East Midlands
Youth Challenge Welterweight Belt,

58
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a contest held under rules set

59
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by the amateur sport's
governing body, England Boxing.

60
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It were honestly unbearably hot,
weren't it?

61
00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:37,679
And it was.
And it was heaving with people.

62
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I'd never seen so many people
that had come to a fight before.

63
00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:42,080
No, it were packed.
Not like that.

64
00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,279
Ed's opponent
is 16-year-old Tyler Rivers,

65
00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:52,560
another regular on the circuit.

66
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Ed got in the ring with Tyler.

67
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He looked confident.

68
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They were both elite-level fighters,
and they just both wanted to win.

69
00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,799
CROWD SHOUTS,
BELL RINGS

70
00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,999
The contest is three rounds
of three minutes.

71
00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:09,999
We just kept saying,
"Come on, Ed. Keep working,"

72
00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,279
cos he really, really wanted
to beat Tyler.

73
00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:14,999
He wanted that belt.

74
00:04:15,000 --> 00:04:17,440
I think it was such a close fight.

75
00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:23,000
But as the fight goes on,
it's clear Ed is struggling.

76
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:30,439
Something didn't feel right.
Something did not feel right at all.

77
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Both me and his grandad, we said,
"There's something wrong with Ed.

78
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"He looks tired."

79
00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,200
And he never, ever looked tired.

80
00:04:44,720 --> 00:04:47,479
He couldn't get...
He couldn't get his punches off.

81
00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:49,760
He's not got the stamina
that he always has.

82
00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:53,240
He's drained. He's got no energy.
His legs have seized.

83
00:04:56,280 --> 00:04:57,560
BELL RINGS

84
00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,959
The referee had hold
of both their arms.

85
00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:06,279
We were near the corner,

86
00:05:06,280 --> 00:05:09,120
and Ed just put his arms out
towards me like that and collapsed.

87
00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,319
He kind of stumbled forward
and fell into the ropes,

88
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,719
and it was
almost like he passed out.

89
00:05:16,720 --> 00:05:19,159
Well, I thought he'd just fainted
at first...

90
00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:20,999
..because it was so hot.

91
00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:24,119
My initial thought was...
he's had heat stroke.

92
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And I just thought,

93
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"Oh, my God, this is not Ed.
This is not Ed."

94
00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,799
And I remember jumping
into the ring,

95
00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:35,279
and I just remember
Ed had been sick.

96
00:05:35,280 --> 00:05:37,559
Everything just went in slow motion.

97
00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,439
And I thought,
"What the hell has happened here?"

98
00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:44,119
Ed had, as all boxers have to have,
a medical,

99
00:05:44,120 --> 00:05:45,959
and he was passed fit to fight.

100
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I just thought,
"Just get up, because you're so fit,

101
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"you're so healthy.

102
00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:52,199
"What can be wrong with you?"

103
00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,239
I remember seeing the doctor run
into the ring.

104
00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:57,359
I just thought,
"Why isn't he getting up?"

105
00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,559
I never saw him get a defib.
I don't know where there was one.

106
00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:02,599
No-one knew what to do.

107
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Everyone kept saying,
"Where is the ambulance?"

108
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It just felt like a nightmare.

109
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SIREN WAILS

110
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Ed is in cardiac arrest.

111
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He is taken by ambulance
to King's Mill Hospital

112
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in Sutton-in-Ashfield.

113
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It seemed to be ages
they were working on him.

114
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I was stood at the end of his bed,
holding onto his feet,

115
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because I were thinking, you know,
"I'm not letting you go either.

116
00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:40,639
"I've got your feet.
You're not going anywhere."

117
00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,759
And then I just remember 'em saying,

118
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"Well, we're gonna have to call it."

119
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And I went, "No, you're not."

120
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I says,
"Do not stop working on my son."

121
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I said, "He's my baby."
I says, "He's my best mate."

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I says, "Don't stop. Don't stop."

123
00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:00,079
After almost an hour and a half
of resuscitation,

124
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Ed is pronounced dead.

125
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I can remember looking at the clock.

126
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I don't even remember
what time it was now,

127
00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:07,959
but it were late,
and they just said,

128
00:07:07,960 --> 00:07:09,279
"So, time of death..."

129
00:07:09,280 --> 00:07:11,199
And I just screamed,

130
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and I let out a noise
that I don't think

131
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anybody would have ever heard come
from a human before.

132
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SHE SNIFFLES

133
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A 17-year-old fit,
young amateur athlete

134
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has a cardiac arrest and dies
following a boxing bout

135
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that lasted less than ten minutes.

136
00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:43,119
What could be the explanation?

137
00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,319
Did something happen
in the fight itself?

138
00:07:45,320 --> 00:07:48,319
Neither contestant went down
during the match,

139
00:07:48,320 --> 00:07:52,359
but could a punch
somewhere on Ed's body

140
00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:54,519
have caused his heart to stop?

141
00:07:54,520 --> 00:07:57,319
Is there
an underlying medical condition,

142
00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,839
or could Ed have taken
performance-enhancing drugs

143
00:08:01,840 --> 00:08:03,400
that caused his heart to stop?

144
00:08:06,760 --> 00:08:09,439
I just could not make
any sense of it.

145
00:08:09,440 --> 00:08:13,800
I did not know
why he just collapsed and died.

146
00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:34,680
These are... Ed's boxing shorts
that he wore the night that he died.

147
00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,279
Michelle's son, Ed,
was just 17

148
00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:42,240
when he collapsed and died
after a boxing match.

149
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They had to cut his shorts off,
and I said to them,

150
00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:48,039
"Please, please, whatever you do,

151
00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,759
"don't cut his shorts off
because he'll kill me."

152
00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:52,599
And we used to laugh
about these shorts

153
00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:54,559
because they stood up on their own.

154
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And we said, "You'll be all right.

155
00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,599
"If you're nervous, these will
walk you to t'ring on their own.

156
00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:00,640
"All you've got to do
is step into them."

157
00:09:02,400 --> 00:09:05,919
He gave everything that night
for boxing.

158
00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,319
He gave everything
and left it all in the ring,

159
00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:09,800
and this is what we've got.

160
00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:26,719
There are no obvious clues
as to why this super-fit 17-year-old

161
00:09:26,720 --> 00:09:29,119
has suddenly dropped dead.

162
00:09:29,120 --> 00:09:32,079
He'd been given
a clean bill of health

163
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by the medical examiner
before the fight.

164
00:09:36,360 --> 00:09:40,519
A postmortem must be performed
to look for any physical signs

165
00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:44,199
of injury or trauma,
both outside and inside the body,

166
00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,000
that Ed may have suffered
before or during the fight.

167
00:09:49,320 --> 00:09:52,319
Ed's a boxer,
but he's also a teenager.

168
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He may have taken something.

169
00:09:55,000 --> 00:09:59,959
So blood samples need to go
to the toxicology laboratory to see

170
00:09:59,960 --> 00:10:02,919
if there's evidence
of performance-enhancing drugs

171
00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:05,319
and also recreational drugs
or alcohol,

172
00:10:05,320 --> 00:10:09,520
one of the most common causes
of sudden death in teenagers.

173
00:10:22,560 --> 00:10:26,199
The closest eyewitness
to Ed's collapse that night

174
00:10:26,200 --> 00:10:28,360
was his opponent, Tyler Rivers.

175
00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,319
This was both of our
first title belt fights,

176
00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:37,160
and every young fighter
wants a belt.

177
00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:42,439
As the ref
was about to announce the winner,

178
00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:44,799
Ed held his chest and fell forward.

179
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At first, I thought he was joking
because the venue was way too hot.

180
00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,000
And then, obviously,
things turned a lot more serious.

181
00:10:54,680 --> 00:10:58,439
My mum, at the time,
was working for the NHS,

182
00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,239
so I witnessed my mum doing CPR,

183
00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:02,839
and I was only
a young 16-year-old kid,

184
00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,280
so to see that was quite traumatic.

185
00:11:06,800 --> 00:11:10,199
But I just remember sitting outside
in my grandad's car, thinking,

186
00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,199
"Have I done something wrong,
or was it my fault?"

187
00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,199
So straightaway,
I just felt a sense of guilt.

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00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:17,840
EXHALES DEEPLY

189
00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,479
As the investigation
into Ed's death continues,

190
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:28,439
his toxicology test comes back.

191
00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:34,239
Ed's toxicology results show
no evidence of any toxic substances,

192
00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:38,079
so the possibility he may have taken
performance-enhancing drugs

193
00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,480
is firmly ruled out.

194
00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:46,919
However, what the report does show
is a raised vitreous urea,

195
00:11:46,920 --> 00:11:52,679
a sample taken from the eye
that is an indicator of dehydration.

196
00:11:52,680 --> 00:11:56,159
We know the arena was hot,
and boxing is obviously

197
00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,719
a very physically demanding
activity,

198
00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:02,639
so a level of dehydration
is not surprising.

199
00:12:02,640 --> 00:12:06,079
The levels found here
are not enough on their own

200
00:12:06,080 --> 00:12:08,119
to have caused Ed's death,

201
00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:12,720
but this finding could be
a significant clue going forward.

202
00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:17,999
To box in the welterweight division,

203
00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,800
Ed had to weigh in
at no more than 69 kilos.

204
00:12:23,880 --> 00:12:25,359
He was always on a diet.

205
00:12:25,360 --> 00:12:28,720
If you cannot make that weight,
you do not fight.

206
00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,599
The hardest part of boxing
is not actually the fight.

207
00:12:32,600 --> 00:12:35,759
It's making the weight,
and that's where Ed struggled.

208
00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,959
He was hardly drinking anything,
hardly eating anything.

209
00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:40,959
So the only way possible for him
to make the weight

210
00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:42,519
was lose it through sweat,

211
00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:44,959
and he did various things
like running in bin bags.

212
00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,560
He were having hot baths
with salts in it.

213
00:12:49,640 --> 00:12:53,359
I remember him one day saying to me,
"You can go and run and lose a kilo,

214
00:12:53,360 --> 00:12:55,040
"or you can have a hot bath
and lose two."

215
00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:00,039
One night,
I went to give him a kiss,

216
00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:02,239
and he'd got two quilts
on top of him.

217
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:03,999
He looked red hot,

218
00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,119
and I pulled his covers back,
and he'd got clothes on.

219
00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,439
He got hoodies and stuff on,
and I said,

220
00:13:08,440 --> 00:13:09,999
"What the hell are you doing?"

221
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,759
And he went, "I'm trying to sweat.
I'm trying to get this weight off."

222
00:13:12,760 --> 00:13:14,039
I said, "Don't be so stupid."

223
00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:18,480
I said, "Get that quilt off and get
them clothes off and get to sleep."

224
00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:24,800
Well, the Friday of the fight,
Ed called in.

225
00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:28,000
So I said,
"Have you had your dinner?"

226
00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,679
He says, "No, Mama, I can't.
I've got to make my weight."

227
00:13:32,680 --> 00:13:34,719
So I heard him in the kitchen,

228
00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:38,799
and he was rinsing his mouth out
and emptying his mouth in the sink.

229
00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,279
And I said,
"You're to have a drink."

230
00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:42,759
"No, I've got to make my weight."

231
00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:48,440
Well, when I actually saw him
rinsing his mouth...

232
00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:51,959
...I said,
"This is absolutely ridiculous

233
00:13:51,960 --> 00:13:54,279
"that you can't have a drink."

234
00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:56,079
But it didn't make any difference,

235
00:13:56,080 --> 00:14:00,520
and he just went,
"I'm good, Mama. I'm good."

236
00:14:01,880 --> 00:14:04,239
And he said,
"I'll see you tonight, Mama.

237
00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,760
"Love you." And off he went.

238
00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:20,480
To make weight for the title fight,
Ed lost almost two kilos in a day.

239
00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,279
I'd heard people saying things
about that,

240
00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:29,959
"Oh, he must have been dehydrated."
And I thought, "What?"

241
00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,239
You know, I just thought,
"Can it be?

242
00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,720
"Can dehydration really kill you?"

243
00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,199
Isaac was always very inquisitive

244
00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,759
and learning a lot
and liked the process of learning.

245
00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:57,279
So he was quite a keen,
budding intellectual,

246
00:14:57,280 --> 00:14:59,559
I suppose, even as a little one,
wasn't he?

247
00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,119
As he got older,
he got more interested

248
00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,799
in specific things like maths,
further maths and computer science.

249
00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,399
We don't quite know
where he got his maths skill,

250
00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,079
cos it took me three times
to get my Maths O-level, so...

251
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:13,719
Yeah, he was definitely self-fuelled
that way.

252
00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:16,480
Self-taught. He just had
an innate and natural ability.

253
00:15:24,560 --> 00:15:28,439
We did the normal kind of visiting
various universities to work out

254
00:15:28,440 --> 00:15:31,239
which one he was interested in.

255
00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:34,999
Warwick was the one
he felt was most like him.

256
00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:39,719
Isaac made some great friends
and really sort of got stuck into,

257
00:15:39,720 --> 00:15:41,160
you know, the whole sort of scene.

258
00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:47,279
In his final year,

259
00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:52,520
21-year-old Isaac Harris shared
a house with close friend Vlad.

260
00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:56,159
It turns out
we were both quite geeky,

261
00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,439
you know, when it comes to maths
and, well, programming.

262
00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:03,479
So we bonded
over our shared experience

263
00:16:03,480 --> 00:16:06,960
and the fact that we are doing
the same course as well.

264
00:16:13,360 --> 00:16:14,799
That day, Isaac decided

265
00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:17,879
that he wanted to be alone
in his room for a while,

266
00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:21,519
so I went on a walk
for about two hours or so.

267
00:16:21,520 --> 00:16:24,639
And then I came back,
and I knocked on his door,

268
00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:25,880
but he didn't reply.

269
00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,840
And some time passed, and then
the next thing I remember is...

270
00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,039
...Stephen was at the door.

271
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:38,679
Vlad answered the door, and I said,
"Have you seen Isaac today?"

272
00:16:38,680 --> 00:16:41,679
He seemed quite concerned.

273
00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:44,319
He was like,
"Isaac isn't answering his phone,

274
00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,280
"so we need to check on him."

275
00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,240
I knocked on Isaac's door,
but then Stephen just opened it.

276
00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:57,439
So, we went in,

277
00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:02,399
and that's when we saw Isaac
face-first on the...

278
00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,160
on his bed, clearly not moving.

279
00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:13,640
The colour of his skin just looked
very unnatural, like...

280
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:17,320
It was almost blue.

281
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:21,159
The first thing I did
was touch his hand

282
00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:23,799
cos it looked
like he might be asleep.

283
00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:25,240
Touched his hand, and it was cold.

284
00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,799
It came through as a category 1,
so our highest priority of call.

285
00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:53,119
As we walk into Isaac's room,
I could see him knelt over his bed,

286
00:17:53,120 --> 00:17:55,959
kind of with his face down
on the duvet cover,

287
00:17:55,960 --> 00:17:58,200
quite visibly deceased.

288
00:17:59,560 --> 00:18:03,520
Then I remember just leaning over
and kissing him on the head.

289
00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,519
I ran out of there, to be honest,
because it was just...

290
00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:12,560
it's not how you want
to find your friend.

291
00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:15,000
Ever.

292
00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:21,599
You said, "Isaac's gone,"

293
00:18:21,600 --> 00:18:26,159
and I didn't get that,
cos I said, "Gone where?"

294
00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:28,199
So I just didn't click.

295
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:30,720
And then you said, "He's died."

296
00:18:44,720 --> 00:18:47,959
In most cases
of an unexplained sudden death,

297
00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:51,159
the police must attend
to investigate the scene

298
00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,799
and to look
for any significant clues

299
00:18:53,800 --> 00:18:56,960
that may have caused
or contributed to his death.

300
00:18:58,200 --> 00:19:00,239
Are there any signs of foul play

301
00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:04,439
or anything to suggest
Isaac may have taken something?

302
00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,479
While police look
for circumstantial evidence,

303
00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:10,559
the first thing I do
is perform a postmortem on Isaac

304
00:19:10,560 --> 00:19:14,360
to see if the answers lie
within his body.

305
00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,679
In Derbyshire, the postmortem

306
00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:31,320
on teenage boxer Ed Bilbey
is complete.

307
00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:40,399
The external examination identifies
several marks on Ed's body,

308
00:19:40,400 --> 00:19:43,559
including bruising consistent
with boxing

309
00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:46,199
and a fracture of the sternum,
or breastbone,

310
00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,719
consistent with chest compressions
during resuscitation

311
00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,840
rather than from the fight.

312
00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:57,399
The internal postmortem offers up
some more clues.

313
00:19:57,400 --> 00:20:02,399
An examination of Ed's brain showed
there was no evidence to suggest

314
00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:06,599
a head injury caused or contributed
to his death.

315
00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,839
So another likely cause
is ruled out.

316
00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:13,719
What's needed now
is a more specialist examination

317
00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:19,040
by a cardiac pathologist
to explain why his heart stopped.

318
00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:33,479
Following the sudden death
of 17-year-old boxer Ed Bilbey,

319
00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:37,639
a specialist postmortem examination
of his heart is carried out.

320
00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:41,039
Cardiologist Dr Tom Mwambingu
is reviewing

321
00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:42,759
the original findings.

322
00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:44,159
So, at postmortem,

323
00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:47,079
Ed's heart was substantially larger
than you would expect

324
00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:51,199
for someone of his build and size,
weighing 458g,

325
00:20:51,200 --> 00:20:54,880
which is approximately 100g more
than you'd expect.

326
00:20:56,080 --> 00:20:58,879
A normal heart may be the size
of my fist,

327
00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,199
and Ed's heart was
substantially bigger.

328
00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:08,159
Ed's enlarged heart also points to
a more serious underlying problem.

329
00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,879
Ed's heart shows
myocardial fibrosis,

330
00:21:10,880 --> 00:21:12,519
or scarring in the heart muscle.

331
00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,159
So, this isn't Ed's scan,

332
00:21:15,160 --> 00:21:19,759
but this is an MRI scan of the heart
to illustrate myocardial fibrosis.

333
00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:22,159
Healthy heart muscle is black,

334
00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:26,359
and areas of fibrosis
will show up bright white,

335
00:21:26,360 --> 00:21:29,319
and it's this myocardial fibrosis
that can predispose

336
00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:33,919
to dangerous heart rhythms and
potentially sudden cardiac death.

337
00:21:33,920 --> 00:21:38,399
Scarring tends to interfere
with electrical currents.

338
00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,519
Heart rhythms are generated

339
00:21:40,520 --> 00:21:43,079
by the electrical conduction system
in the heart,

340
00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:45,319
and the electrical signalling
across the heart muscle

341
00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,359
gets interfered with by scar,
and that can cause

342
00:21:48,360 --> 00:21:52,239
abnormal heart rhythms
and lead to cardiac arrest.

343
00:21:52,240 --> 00:21:55,879
But at this stage,
more investigations are needed

344
00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,279
to see if Ed
was doing something particular

345
00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:00,240
that caused his heart to fail
on that night.

346
00:22:01,520 --> 00:22:04,199
I never once thought it could be
anything to do with his heart

347
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:08,320
because of all the exercise
that he always did.

348
00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,239
21-year-old student Isaac Harris

349
00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:23,199
collapsed and died
in his final year at university.

350
00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:24,919
I wonder if his Earth sign's
gonna change.

351
00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:26,359
SHE CHUCKLES

352
00:22:26,360 --> 00:22:29,479
This is Isaac's bedroom
that we've kept how it was

353
00:22:29,480 --> 00:22:30,799
when Isaac was here.

354
00:22:30,800 --> 00:22:32,199
So, he had lots of teddies,

355
00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:35,599
but Robbie the red Velveteen Rabbit
we've got up there.

356
00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:36,719
That's the one he loved.

357
00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:38,240
He loved his rabbit
when he was little.

358
00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,519
We kept also his favourite,
favourite hoodie.

359
00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:47,279
He loved this.
He wore it everywhere.

360
00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:49,840
That's so him,
and it makes me smile.

361
00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:01,479
We can see from his medical records
that Isaac went to see his GP

362
00:23:01,480 --> 00:23:04,519
and told his GP that he'd had a fit.

363
00:23:04,520 --> 00:23:08,799
This is significant because it shows
he'd reported having a fit

364
00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:10,759
a week before his death.

365
00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,759
He told his GP
he was working very hard

366
00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:15,880
in his revision for his exams.

367
00:23:17,880 --> 00:23:23,439
Isaac had his first
suspected seizure in December 2019,

368
00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:28,400
and then he had his second seizure
about a month later.

369
00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:31,999
There was one time in his bedroom
where I had to get you

370
00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:34,679
to open the door
cos he was seizing in his bedroom,

371
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:36,799
and I couldn't open the door...
Cos he had fallen.

372
00:23:36,800 --> 00:23:38,040
He'd fallen across the door.

373
00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:40,719
Typically, his seizures would be

374
00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:42,559
first thing in the morning,
after he'd got up,

375
00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:45,119
and he would drop
whatever he was holding

376
00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:47,399
cos his muscles would spasm.

377
00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:49,320
So you got used to that clatter.

378
00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:54,199
At 18,
Isaac was diagnosed with epilepsy

379
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:57,320
and prescribed medication
to help control his seizures.

380
00:23:58,960 --> 00:24:02,079
He wasn't adverse
to taking the medication.

381
00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:05,919
We tried to instigate with him,
you know, you set an alarm,

382
00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:07,839
you take the medication,
there's no question,

383
00:24:07,840 --> 00:24:10,199
and then you know you've got them
in your system.

384
00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:12,640
He was seizure-free on medication.

385
00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,199
We know that Isaac has epilepsy,

386
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,320
but we can't assume his death was
the result of an epileptic seizure.

387
00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:33,479
There are no pathological changes
in the brain

388
00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,879
when I look at it at postmortem
that would either confirm or refute

389
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,320
the possibility of an epileptic fit.

390
00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:46,239
The postmortem reveals
a whole series of negatives.

391
00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,039
There is no brain tumour.
There's no brain infection.

392
00:24:49,040 --> 00:24:51,159
There's no heart disease.
There's no lung disease.

393
00:24:51,160 --> 00:24:55,440
There's nothing in Isaac's body
that could have caused his death.

394
00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,559
Given Isaac's living
the student life,

395
00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,479
there's always a risk
that he may have taken something.

396
00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:06,239
Now, the next stage
is to send bloods off for toxicology

397
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:10,280
to see if there's evidence
of recreational drugs or alcohol.

398
00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:24,119
In Derbyshire,
after 17-year-old Ed Bilbey died

399
00:25:24,120 --> 00:25:25,919
following a boxing match,

400
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:27,879
a specialist examination
of his heart

401
00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,000
has identified significant findings.

402
00:25:32,480 --> 00:25:36,119
We know that Ed not only had
an unusually large heart,

403
00:25:36,120 --> 00:25:38,879
but he also has
an underlying heart condition

404
00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:43,599
called myocardial fibrosis,
scarring of the heart muscle.

405
00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:47,559
What we don't know
is how significant that is.

406
00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:51,319
It still doesn't explain
why a teenager suffered

407
00:25:51,320 --> 00:25:55,679
a cardiac arrest
on the day of the fight.

408
00:25:55,680 --> 00:25:59,039
The direction the investigation
needs to go in now

409
00:25:59,040 --> 00:26:01,279
is to see
if there was anything he was doing

410
00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,719
in the weeks leading up to the fight

411
00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,600
that may have put his heart
under additional stress.

412
00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:14,559
The coroner has requested
a more detailed investigation

413
00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:17,759
into the circumstances
around Ed's death

414
00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,520
from an exercise physiologist.

415
00:26:24,080 --> 00:26:26,599
There was questions asked
around the preparation

416
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:29,559
and kind of the strategies
that were used

417
00:26:29,560 --> 00:26:32,200
in the lead-up to Ed's fight.

418
00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:39,719
This is a graphic summary
of Ed's activity over one month,

419
00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,999
and it's colour-coordinated,
and it's characterised

420
00:26:42,000 --> 00:26:43,839
by the different activities.

421
00:26:43,840 --> 00:26:47,159
At the time of his death,
Ed was at college,

422
00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:51,679
studying an advanced apprenticeship
in sporting excellence.

423
00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:56,399
Part of his coursework was to keep
a diary of his daily exercise.

424
00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:58,599
He's got his running work in there,
his college work,

425
00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:01,199
his strength-based work,
then his club training.

426
00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:03,239
And this was happening
over multiple days,

427
00:27:03,240 --> 00:27:05,559
repeated times within days,
between days.

428
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,799
So, if you view it in isolation or
you look at one component of that,

429
00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,159
it appears manageable at face value,
but it's only when you take

430
00:27:13,160 --> 00:27:15,559
that step back and view all
of the activity in its totality

431
00:27:15,560 --> 00:27:17,279
that you actually start
to appreciate

432
00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:19,640
the physical demand
that Ed was placing on his body.

433
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:26,119
But what Ed's journal didn't note
was the extreme methods he was using

434
00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:27,759
to keep his weight down.

435
00:27:27,760 --> 00:27:30,359
Weight-loss and weight-cutting
strategies are very prominent

436
00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:31,879
in kind of combat sports

437
00:27:31,880 --> 00:27:33,879
because they are divided
by weight categories.

438
00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:36,759
Ed was required
to lose some of his body mass

439
00:27:36,760 --> 00:27:38,359
in preparation for the fight.

440
00:27:38,360 --> 00:27:41,959
So he was training wearing bin bags
to increase his sweat rate.

441
00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:45,319
He was sleeping under a multitude
of different duvets,

442
00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:47,079
again, to increase
his core temperature

443
00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:48,279
to increase the sweating.

444
00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:51,039
The sweating would reduce
the water content within the body,

445
00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:53,560
and that would have had an impact
on his body mass.

446
00:27:56,000 --> 00:27:59,999
Ed spent most evenings training
alongside adult boxers

447
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,679
at the Somercotes
Elite Boxing Academy,

448
00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:07,320
set up by professional coach
Jason Shinfield.

449
00:28:10,120 --> 00:28:12,799
A lot of ideas he'd got
through losing weight

450
00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:14,799
and training like that
were from the gym itself,

451
00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:16,800
surrounded by other fighters
who were doing that.

452
00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:20,679
It's how we've been taught
to lose the weight.

453
00:28:20,680 --> 00:28:22,879
It's what we're around in boxing,
in the gym,

454
00:28:22,880 --> 00:28:25,959
fighters putting on bin bags,
and they're gonna train

455
00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,279
two hours in one
and sweating it all out.

456
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:30,240
That's what we've been taught to do.

457
00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:36,880
No-one told him, "No,"
that you shouldn't be doing that.

458
00:28:41,360 --> 00:28:44,479
Ed's severe weight-loss tactics

459
00:28:44,480 --> 00:28:49,039
are causing significant dehydration
in his body,

460
00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:53,119
and water is essential
to keep the blood sufficiently fluid

461
00:28:53,120 --> 00:28:55,399
to flow easily around the body

462
00:28:55,400 --> 00:28:59,599
to provide oxygen to all
of the tissues and the organs.

463
00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:03,880
Properly hydrated blood
should flow easily, like this.

464
00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,079
It should pass simply
in the blood vessels,

465
00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,399
but with severe dehydration,

466
00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,479
it becomes thicker and more viscous,

467
00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:16,399
flows less easily.

468
00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,319
And Ed's heart is already damaged,

469
00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:22,399
and it's being made
to work even harder,

470
00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:26,000
pumping the thickened blood
around his body.

471
00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:32,839
You've got
the undiagnosed heart condition,

472
00:29:32,840 --> 00:29:35,159
which is asking the heart
to work harder.

473
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,759
You've got a dehydrated body
in a dehydrated state,

474
00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:39,839
asking the heart to work harder.

475
00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,359
Then you've got the actual exercise
at high intensity

476
00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:46,359
for short, brief periods,
asking the heart to work harder.

477
00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,079
What nobody was aware of at the time
was the undiagnosed heart condition,

478
00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:51,759
so when you view those together,

479
00:29:51,760 --> 00:29:54,920
again, it paints
a pretty terrible picture.

480
00:29:58,320 --> 00:30:00,319
I never realised -
I don't think Ed did -

481
00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,199
I didn't realise that, medically,

482
00:30:02,200 --> 00:30:04,120
that anything could happen
by overtraining.

483
00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:10,759
I wish I'd have tried harder
to stop him.

484
00:30:10,760 --> 00:30:16,119
I just never gave it another thought
that what he was doing was...

485
00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:17,800
was literally gonna kill him.

486
00:30:25,360 --> 00:30:28,359
In Coventry,
the police investigation

487
00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:30,839
has found
no obvious cause of death

488
00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:33,639
for 21-year-old student Isaac,

489
00:30:33,640 --> 00:30:36,079
but the results
of the toxicology test

490
00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:37,760
offer up a key clue.

491
00:30:39,360 --> 00:30:43,279
The results of that analysis show
that there was no alcohol,

492
00:30:43,280 --> 00:30:46,919
no prescription drugs
and no drugs of abuse present.

493
00:30:46,920 --> 00:30:49,919
But what's worrying
is that there's no evidence

494
00:30:49,920 --> 00:30:53,239
of his anti-epileptic drug
lamotrigine,

495
00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:57,679
which might suggest
that he wasn't taking it

496
00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,960
as properly as he should have been.

497
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:09,919
Medication for epilepsy is designed
to reduce and hopefully stop fits.

498
00:31:09,920 --> 00:31:15,319
So by not taking the medication
regularly and as prescribed,

499
00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:20,199
the chances that Isaac would have
a fit begin to increase,

500
00:31:20,200 --> 00:31:23,680
and the risks go up and up and up.

501
00:31:26,120 --> 00:31:30,039
He's had an episode, which I think,
at first, was a small one,

502
00:31:30,040 --> 00:31:32,799
and then those episodes
just started increasing

503
00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,240
in frequency and severity, as well.

504
00:31:36,440 --> 00:31:38,919
And he would always say
he was taking his meds.

505
00:31:38,920 --> 00:31:40,999
But, yeah, over time,

506
00:31:41,000 --> 00:31:44,439
I think it just made him
more tired generally.

507
00:31:44,440 --> 00:31:49,400
One common side effect of Isaac's
epilepsy medication was drowsiness.

508
00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:54,319
With the best will in the world,
lamotrigine does make you sleepy.

509
00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:56,959
Yeah, we do feel,
coming up to his exams,

510
00:31:56,960 --> 00:32:00,600
his sleep schedule had been
a bit sort of all over the place.

511
00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,799
Our course was quite tough at uni.

512
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:09,319
Every exam season every year
was getting tougher and tougher.

513
00:32:09,320 --> 00:32:11,439
We were all very tired.

514
00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:13,639
I noticed that it was...
it was getting more difficult

515
00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:16,360
to retain information and memory...

516
00:32:17,600 --> 00:32:19,359
...especially as we
did revision together.

517
00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:20,839
It would always be we just,
you know,

518
00:32:20,840 --> 00:32:23,520
went over that thing,
and he couldn't remember that.

519
00:32:27,280 --> 00:32:29,639
With the stress of final-year exams

520
00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,159
and the amount of time needed
to study,

521
00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:35,599
Isaac may have forgotten
to take his medication

522
00:32:35,600 --> 00:32:38,839
or felt that the side effects
were having too great an impact

523
00:32:38,840 --> 00:32:43,039
on his university work
and chosen to reduce his dose,

524
00:32:43,040 --> 00:32:44,840
leading to more seizures.

525
00:32:47,120 --> 00:32:49,639
The most probable conclusion
we can come to

526
00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:53,999
is that Isaac suffered a seizure,
which caused him to fall.

527
00:32:54,000 --> 00:32:57,600
Death FROM epilepsy
is very rare indeed.

528
00:32:58,640 --> 00:33:01,680
So why did this seizure lead
to his death?

529
00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:20,279
In Derbyshire, while his family
await a full inquest into his death,

530
00:33:20,280 --> 00:33:22,760
Ed's funeral takes place.

531
00:33:27,880 --> 00:33:32,120
We walked through Ripley,
all the way up towards the church.

532
00:33:33,880 --> 00:33:37,919
And they actually closed the roads,
which I couldn't believe,

533
00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:39,559
but I think there were
that many people.

534
00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,079
I think there was over 700.

535
00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:47,559
Among the mourners is Ed's
final boxing opponent, Tyler Rivers.

536
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:50,559
I remember feeling like I should go
and I need to go,

537
00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:53,960
but I also had a sense of, like,
fear, if you like, that...

538
00:33:56,360 --> 00:33:57,600
...I wouldn't be welcome.

539
00:33:59,440 --> 00:34:01,879
But I just put my arms around him,
and he just...

540
00:34:01,880 --> 00:34:03,759
he just cried, and he said,
"I'm so sorry."

541
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:07,600
And I says, "Why are YOU sorry?
You've not done anything wrong."

542
00:34:09,520 --> 00:34:12,400
She gave me a massive hug
and told me that it wasn't my fault.

543
00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,360
I said, "Tyler, just don't blame
yourself, cos it's not you."

544
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:23,520
For that, I'll forever be grateful.
I'll never forget that.

545
00:34:26,240 --> 00:34:28,199
We just need to know what happened.

546
00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,320
It just doesn't make sense to me.

547
00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:48,319
The investigation into
21-year-old Isaac's sudden death

548
00:34:48,320 --> 00:34:52,239
now points to a seizure linked
to his epilepsy.

549
00:34:52,240 --> 00:34:55,279
It's rare for a seizure to be fatal,

550
00:34:55,280 --> 00:34:59,879
but a police photograph from
the scene highlights a vital detail.

551
00:34:59,880 --> 00:35:04,119
The photograph shows that Isaac
is kneeling by the side of his bed.

552
00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:06,239
He's dressed
in a towelling dressing gown,

553
00:35:06,240 --> 00:35:08,719
and he has simply fallen face-down

554
00:35:08,720 --> 00:35:13,399
into the bedding
on the top of his bed.

555
00:35:13,400 --> 00:35:15,519
And the photograph showed me

556
00:35:15,520 --> 00:35:18,719
there was
a very, very significant risk

557
00:35:18,720 --> 00:35:22,999
that the bedding, even though
his face isn't pressed into it,

558
00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,239
has blocked his air passages

559
00:35:26,240 --> 00:35:29,840
and was very likely
to lead to asphyxiation.

560
00:35:32,160 --> 00:35:33,880
Is this what has killed him?

561
00:35:35,800 --> 00:35:40,239
My postmortem didn't show
any obvious signs of suffocation,

562
00:35:40,240 --> 00:35:44,840
but that doesn't necessarily
rule it out, as it's often hidden.

563
00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:57,279
Quite frustratingly,
epilepsy is unpredictable,

564
00:35:57,280 --> 00:36:00,879
so it is really quite tricky
for most people with epilepsy

565
00:36:00,880 --> 00:36:04,279
to try to identify
that a seizure is coming on

566
00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:07,240
and to take evasive action.

567
00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:11,839
During a convulsive seizure,
people aren't breathing,

568
00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:13,799
but it's the period
after the seizure

569
00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:17,999
where their breathing starts again
that someone's at risk,

570
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:20,359
if their nose and mouth
are being occluded

571
00:36:20,360 --> 00:36:22,800
by a pillow or some other object.

572
00:36:24,240 --> 00:36:26,399
Someone falls into soft bedding

573
00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:28,519
that partially obstructs
the airways.

574
00:36:28,520 --> 00:36:34,239
In sleep, the body will detect it,
will turn and move and free that.

575
00:36:34,240 --> 00:36:37,679
Someone who's unconscious
after an epileptic fit,

576
00:36:37,680 --> 00:36:39,399
that doesn't happen.

577
00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:43,400
The obstruction continues,
and asphyxiation can occur.

578
00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:47,759
Five weeks after Isaac's death,

579
00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:50,840
the findings of the investigation
are presented at inquest.

580
00:36:55,960 --> 00:36:59,519
I do find as a fact
that it was an epileptic seizure

581
00:36:59,520 --> 00:37:04,039
which was a precipitating event
to his collapse onto the bed.

582
00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:06,719
It's the inability to recover
from that position,

583
00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:10,439
because any of us could have tripped
over and fallen onto the bed.

584
00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:12,839
But when you're
in a tonic-clonic seizure,

585
00:37:12,840 --> 00:37:15,519
you don't have
that self-righting mechanism,

586
00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:18,039
and hence the suffocation.

587
00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:20,759
Sadly, he did suffocate in his room,

588
00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:24,680
and the conclusion I return
is that of accidental death.

589
00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:33,839
If Isaac had landed differently
or fallen backwards,

590
00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:36,319
just not fallen ONTO his bedding,

591
00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:39,680
the chances are
he may still be alive.

592
00:37:41,240 --> 00:37:44,319
The seizure itself
didn't cause Isaac's death.

593
00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:47,200
It was the circumstances
of the seizure.

594
00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:58,399
It would have been just lights off
and then...

595
00:37:58,400 --> 00:38:02,079
Lights off, sudden.
No pain, no suffering.

596
00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:05,040
Yeah. And that's something
you're kind of grateful for.

597
00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,719
Please welcome his father,
Stephen Harris,

598
00:38:14,720 --> 00:38:18,959
to collect for Isaac Harris.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

599
00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:21,159
Just seven weeks after his death,

600
00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:23,679
Stephen attends Isaac's graduation

601
00:38:23,680 --> 00:38:25,880
to accept his degree
in data science.

602
00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:30,000
'They stood up.
That was incredibly hard to do.'

603
00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:32,560
'It was so beautiful.'

604
00:38:38,440 --> 00:38:39,839
I miss having a friend.

605
00:38:39,840 --> 00:38:42,239
I miss having... someone to talk to.

606
00:38:42,240 --> 00:38:45,439
I miss having someone to take me
on bike rides

607
00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:47,040
and to do barbecues with us.

608
00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:50,080
I do miss my friend.

609
00:38:55,840 --> 00:38:59,359
Isaac's untimely death
inspired his friends

610
00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:02,359
to complete a walk
in aid of an epilepsy charity.

611
00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:04,919
I was in tears,
cos it meant they still cared

612
00:39:04,920 --> 00:39:07,440
and, you know, Isaac's memory
was gonna be kept going.

613
00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,399
Isaac lived for 21 years,
and it was just... what a life.

614
00:39:13,400 --> 00:39:15,239
The epilepsy didn't stop him.

615
00:39:15,240 --> 00:39:19,079
He was still out there achieving
and living life and loving life.

616
00:39:19,080 --> 00:39:20,839
Oh, my gosh, what a guy.

617
00:39:20,840 --> 00:39:23,280
We were proud to be his parents.
We really were.

618
00:39:32,480 --> 00:39:36,559
Three and a half years
after 17-year-old boxer Ed Bilbey

619
00:39:36,560 --> 00:39:39,199
collapsed and died in the ring,

620
00:39:39,200 --> 00:39:42,680
an inquest into his death
finally takes place.

621
00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:47,079
Edward Bilbey died of cardiac arrest

622
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,919
and the combined effect
of an inherited heart condition,

623
00:39:49,920 --> 00:39:53,879
myocardial fibrosis,
and metabolic disturbance

624
00:39:53,880 --> 00:39:55,879
caused by intense physical training

625
00:39:55,880 --> 00:39:59,039
and rapid weight loss
by dehydration.

626
00:39:59,040 --> 00:40:02,879
His death was in part contributed to
by a failure to have

627
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:06,679
adequate safeguarding and
child-protection measures in place

628
00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:08,520
to prevent him from doing so.

629
00:40:11,440 --> 00:40:16,039
At the inquest, the coroner found
that Jason Shinfield,

630
00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:20,279
the head of the Somercotes
Boxing Academy Ed attended,

631
00:40:20,280 --> 00:40:24,399
knew Ed was training in bin bags
to lose weight and,

632
00:40:24,400 --> 00:40:27,399
though licensed
to train professional boxers,

633
00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:31,999
he held no England Boxing
qualifications to coach amateurs,

634
00:40:32,000 --> 00:40:34,239
had not done a safeguarding course

635
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:37,199
and did not have
a current criminal record check,

636
00:40:37,200 --> 00:40:40,959
which every England Boxing coach
must have.

637
00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:43,919
Jason Shinfield denied
being Ed's coach,

638
00:40:43,920 --> 00:40:47,799
stating he was a professional coach,
not an amateur one,

639
00:40:47,800 --> 00:40:51,279
and that he did not know
about Ed's repeated hot baths

640
00:40:51,280 --> 00:40:52,999
and bin bag use,

641
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,159
saying he would never advise
any boxer to do that.

642
00:40:57,160 --> 00:41:01,120
The coroner found him
an unreliable witness.

643
00:41:03,320 --> 00:41:07,159
What caused Ed's death
is an accumulation of many things -

644
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:11,919
overtraining, extreme dieting
resulting in dehydration,

645
00:41:11,920 --> 00:41:14,399
illness, lack of rest.

646
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:19,800
All this will have put extra strain
on his already damaged heart.

647
00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:27,079
At the end of that last fight,
his heart finally gave up.

648
00:41:27,080 --> 00:41:28,919
It's sad that, in this case,

649
00:41:28,920 --> 00:41:35,439
Ed's choices for weight loss
were not guided and helped

650
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:38,240
by those who should have been there
to support him.

651
00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:50,279
The coroner found
England Boxing had missed

652
00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:53,159
a serious opportunity
to protect Ed

653
00:41:53,160 --> 00:41:58,319
by having no checks to identify
safeguarding breaches at his gym,

654
00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:03,479
warning that a lack of proper checks
put young athletes at risk.

655
00:42:03,480 --> 00:42:08,199
Since Ed's death, England Boxing
has changed its rules.

656
00:42:08,200 --> 00:42:11,879
Every club must now have access
to a defibrillator

657
00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:14,519
and a fully qualified head coach.

658
00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:17,239
And since October 2025,

659
00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:20,759
no club can compete
or renew its membership

660
00:42:20,760 --> 00:42:23,439
until it's been visited
and certified

661
00:42:23,440 --> 00:42:25,760
by an England Boxing officer.

662
00:42:33,320 --> 00:42:35,400
SNIFFLES,
SIGHS

663
00:42:39,240 --> 00:42:42,079
When the coroner said
about all the failings

664
00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:45,400
and how this had happened,
I was just in shock.

665
00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:50,799
You know, you put your trust
as a parent into,

666
00:42:50,800 --> 00:42:52,640
you know,
the gym that they're going to.

667
00:42:54,640 --> 00:42:57,119
No-one told us
what we was doing was dangerous.

668
00:42:57,120 --> 00:42:58,519
We got given a weight to make.

669
00:42:58,520 --> 00:43:00,959
If you didn't make it, you felt
like you weren't good enough,

670
00:43:00,960 --> 00:43:02,119
you didn't try hard enough.

671
00:43:02,120 --> 00:43:04,359
That was a mindset
that was instilled into us

672
00:43:04,360 --> 00:43:06,279
when we was at the gym.

673
00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:08,000
You're a loser
if you don't make the weight.

674
00:43:09,720 --> 00:43:11,079
You always ask the question,

675
00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:14,119
if you could have done anything
to have stopped it.

676
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:16,079
But come hell or high water,

677
00:43:16,080 --> 00:43:19,120
he would've still have gone
and done his fight.

678
00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:33,439
I found in Ed's bedroom
a list of goals

679
00:43:33,440 --> 00:43:36,079
that he wanted to achieve.

680
00:43:36,080 --> 00:43:38,120
He wanted to learn how to skip.

681
00:43:40,160 --> 00:43:43,800
Then in his career, he wanted
to "be in a job where I am happy".

682
00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:47,240
He wanted to save £1,000.

683
00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:52,200
He wanted to win
an East Midlands title.

684
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:58,120
He wanted to maintain training, diet
throughout the year.

685
00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:03,280
And he put in brackets,
"Don't stop."