PORTO, Portugal (BN24) — A 59-year-old man died from accidental asphyxia after his partner stumbled and fell on top of him at their home in Porto, Portuguese authorities said Tuesday.
The incident occurred in the early morning hours in the residential Campanha district on the city’s outskirts when the woman lost her balance while getting out of bed and fell onto her partner, who was lying on the floor nearby.
The woman, described as 60 years old and weighing more than 100 kilograms, became trapped between the bed and wall after the fall, according to Portuguese police. Her screams for help alerted neighbors, who rushed to assist the couple.
Witnesses said it took five men to lift the woman off her partner, but the man was already unconscious by the time emergency responders arrived. Firefighters and paramedics attempted to revive him after he went into cardiac arrest, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
PSP police officers investigated the incident and determined it was an accidental death with no criminal intent involved.
“It’s been categorized as an accidental asphyxia,” said a source close to the investigation. “It’s obviously a very unusual death but there was no criminal intent. It was a stumble by the woman as she got out of bed and tried to move closer to her husband who was lying on the floor that led to what happened.”
The woman’s weight reportedly contributed to her inability to free herself after becoming trapped, according to Portuguese daily Correio da Manha. Local reports described her as obese, though her exact weight was not disclosed.
The man was described by neighbors as having a slight build, which may have contributed to the fatal outcome when his significantly heavier partner fell on top of him.
The couple had lived together in a common-law marriage for several years, according to Portuguese media reports, though they were not formally wed.
Following the tragedy, authorities offered grief counseling to the surviving woman, who has not been publicly identified along with her deceased partner.
The unusual nature of the death prompted a thorough police investigation, but officers concluded the incident was purely accidental. No charges will be filed in connection with the man’s death.
The Campanha district, where the incident occurred, is a residential area located on the outskirts of Porto, Portugal’s second-largest city. Emergency services responded quickly to the scene after receiving reports of the woman’s distressed calls for help.
Portuguese authorities emphasized that such incidents, while tragic, remain extremely rare. The case has been closed following the police investigation that ruled out any possibility of foul play.
The incident highlights the potential dangers of accidents in domestic settings, particularly involving individuals with significant weight differences or mobility challenges.
Local emergency responders praised the quick actions of neighbors who came to the couple’s aid, though their intervention ultimately came too late to save the man’s life.
Portuguese media coverage of the incident has focused on the accidental nature of the death while respecting the privacy of those involved in what authorities describe as a genuinely tragic accident.
The investigation’s conclusion brings closure to what police described as one of the more unusual accidental death cases they have encountered, while emphasizing the importance of home safety awareness for vulnerable individuals.
