Natalie Buss signed on to participate in a marshmallow-eating contest. Per PEOPLE, the event was a fundraiser for her son's rugby team. Buss was called onstage to join a contest to see who could fit the most marshmallows in their mouth at once. Christopher Gibbons, DJ and children's entertainer, chose Buss from the crowd.
After swallowing many pink and white marshmallows, Buss left the stage. She collapsed in a nearby corridor. Despite an off-duty nurse and a few other bystanders joining to try and help Buss, it was a futile effort. Reportedly, paramedics were unable to clear Buss' airways. Gavin Knox, an assistant coroner for South Wales, stated that an inquest would "focus on risk assessment and risk mitigation relating to the game."
Beddau RFC, the rugby team representing the fundraiser, released a Facebook statement regarding the tragedy. "The club and the Beddau community are heartbroken. 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," the post begins.
Woman Chokes To Death During Marshmallow-Eating Contest
"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."
An unnamed mother who was at the competition spoke to the Daily Mail about the incident. "She was laughing at the same time and it was like she sucked the marshmallows further into her mouth. One minute everyone was enjoying themselves and whooping, the next she was on the floor. It was dreadful to watch it happen in front of you," she said to the outlet.
"First-aiders went forward to help and someone said they had gone for the defibrillator on the wall of the school opposite. But it didn't help -- her airways were blocked by the marshmallows."
