Dad of triplets dies in tragic accident after falling down hotel stairs during family trip

A father of triplets tragically lost his life during a "lads and dads" trip with his family, after he stumbled down the stairs, an inquest has revealed.

Edward Sidgwick, 53, was searching for his room at the four-star Dunston Hall Hotel near Norwich, Norfolk when he accidentally fell , leading to his untimely and tragic death.

The Coroner's Court in Norfolk heard that Edward had been enjoying drinks with his son Robert, 24, his brother, two nephews, and three friends after a round of golf on June 15.

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The group enjoyed a "debrief beer" in the bar of the hotel's golf club for two hours before they headed to their rooms to prepare for dinner at 6 pm, as reported by the Mirror.

It is believed that the beloved family man fell after forgetting that his room was located on the ground floor, mistakenly taking the lift upstairs.

The inquest was told that Mr Sidgwick, from Stonea, Cambridgeshire, had earlier phoned his wife Joanna to share "what a great day they had all had". His son Robert recalled: "The golf tour finally began with everyone raising a drink to a good day ahead.", reports the Daily Record .

"[During a round of golf] Dad had talked to his best mate about how happy he was with life and how proud he was of us, his boys, with our sporting achievements and our progression into adults. He described us as 'mini Ted's'."

"Then he spoke about Mum and how he couldn't believe how lucky he was to have such a lovely wife. Finally, he talked about his older brother, who he loved dearly, just wanting him to have the same happiness he had. This was an annual golf trip which had gone on for more than 20 years, organised by dad. It was the first time the younger generation had been able to join in for a 'lads and dads' golf tour."

The inquest heard from forensic toxicologist Dr Paul Smith, who explained that Mr Sidgwick had 278mg of alcohol in 100ml of his blood.

The legal limit to drive is 80mg. He added the alcohol "likely contributed to the fall."

Mr Sidgwick who was born in Swindon, Wiltshire, met his wife Joanna in 1986 when they worked together at TSB bank in Peterborough.

The pair began dating in 1993 and married in 1996, before having triplet sons Robert, Harry and Jack in 2000 when he moved his career to London.

Mrs Sidgwick said: "Apart from his work accomplishments, Ted was a hands-on dad and was immensely proud of the men our boys have become. He would be cheering them on from the side lines in the various sports they played and supported them with their academic achievements and in their subsequent jobs."

"He was a dedicated family man not only providing love and security for myself and our boys, but he also was in daily contact with his mother and brother who he helped enormously following the passing of his father."

Assistant coroner Christopher Leach concluded that Mr. Sidgwick's death was related to alcohol consumption. Mr. Leach stated: "Mr Sidgwick was a committed family man who was clearly dedicated to and proud of his loving family."

"It was during the course of a family event Mr Sidgwick sadly passed away. Mr Sidgwick's fatal head injury was most likely due to the fall sustained around the time of death and that high alcohol levels rather than some other medical condition or an accident had likely contributed to the fall."