Robert Cookson

Died

13 October 1894

Age

Rank

Police Fireman

Force

Blackburn Police Fire Brigade

Cause

Accident

Duty Status

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Died soon after fracturing his skull when he fell to the ground while demonstrating the use of a new fire-escape.

Roll of Honour Citation

Died soon after fracturing his skull when he fell to the ground while demonstrating the use of a new fire-escape.

Circumstances

Fatally injured when he was assisting in a demonstration of new rescue equipment. He was in the top storey of a building when he entered the escape to show how people would be rescued, about 30 feet from the ground he changed his position and fell out to the road below. He sustained serious head injuries and died at the scene.

Soon after 5:00pm on Saturday 13th October 1894, Police Fireman Cookson was demonstrating how to use a new fire escape, a canvas chute, at the Orange Club in Richmond Terrace, Blackburn. He entered the chute feet-first at the top floor but, about thirty feet from the ground, he was seen to turn over in the chute and fell head-first to the roadway below, sustaining serious head injuries.

He was taken to the local infirmary but died soon after arriving there.

Robert was survived by his wife and four children.