A 53-YEAR-OLD man died after falling down the stairs while carrying his partially blind dog, an inquest heard.

Animal lover Gary Bolton suffered a serious brain injury and a skull fracture during the fall at his home Stansfeld Street, Blackburn.

The carer, who has been married to his childhood sweetheart Lorraine for 34 years, was found at the bottom of the stairs holding his Jack Russell 'Lucky' calling for help on April 27.

The inquest heard Mr Bolton died on May 13 when his family agreed to end two weeks of life support at the Royal Preston Hospital.

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Following the inquest in Blackburn, Mrs Bolton insisted she will never be able to remarry as she struggles to get the image of her husband crying for help out of her head.

The family of the former warehouseman said they took comfort in their decision to donate some of his organs.

Mrs Bolton, 54, who got married aged 18, said: "We take comfort knowing he is still around somewhere.

"I wanted someone else to have the life he couldn't have."

"I will never get anyone else. No one else is going to take his place."

Sian Jones, East Lancashire coroner was told Mr Bolton fell down the stairs, while carrying down the family dog, which survived the fall.

Daughter Rachel, 25, told the hearing that she rushed to see what had happened after hearing a loud bang. She said she saw her father lying on his back at the foot of the stairs, with his feet on the stairs, head on the floor and 'Lucky' in his arms.

Mrs Bolton then told the hearing: "He was shouting, 'Help me, help me'. I can't get it out of my head."

Consultant neurosurgeon Gregory Hall said Mr Bolton suffered a serious brain injury and a skull fracture. He had blood clots on the brain.

He added: "The injury was so severe from the outset that he was unlikely to survive."

Mr Hall said the dad had an inherited condition that meant blood vessels could be fragile but added he did not think that contributed to the death.

Mrs Jones, who recorded a verdict of accidental death, said: "Gary died at a young age and that is very sad.

"It appears that he fell from the top, or towards the top, of the stairs. It seems he had his hands full with the dog and that may mean he was unable to protect himself."

She said Mr Bolton banged his head in the accident, which was in any case serious.

The coroner praised the 'very brave' decision of the family to donate some of Mr Bolton's organs, adding: "I hope it is a comfort to the family that they were able to do that."

Mrs Bolton, who did not give formal evidence at the inquest but spoke intermittently during the proceedings, confirmed after the hearing doctors had warned the family that if Mr Bolton survived he would be in a vegetative state and never live a normal life again.

Mrs Bolton said: "We all got together and decided that we could not let him live like that."

She said her husband's eyes have been donated, while his kidneys have gone to a woman in her twenties and a man in his forties. Sadly, his heart could not be donated.

Five months on, Mrs Bolton, said: "I keep looking at his picture and talking to him."

Mr Bolton had latterly been Mrs Bolton's carer.