A MILTON granddad, who suffered problems with balance, died after falling on to rocks at Freshwater West during a ‘crabbing’ trip with his grandson, an inquest heard.

David Benson, 67, of Shamba, Milton Meadow, suffered fatal injuries during the August 8 fall.

At the November 15 inquest, Coroner’s Officer Jeremy Davies said former MOD worker and IT manager Mr Benson had suffered a benign tumour on the brain and had problems with his balance.

On August 8, Mr Benson and wife Patricia had decided to take their grandson crabbing at Freshwater West.

They started to walk down a grass path to the beach, which started to get steep.

As Mrs Benson and the grandson returned to the road, seeking an alternative route to the beach, Mr Benson said he would carry on.

“As Mrs Benson got back up the road, she watched her husband. He started getting quicker and quicker, starting to run; she believed he lost control,” said Mr Davies.

“She saw him fall over the edge, down to the beach.

“Mrs Benson walked down the grass path and could see him laying on rocks on the beach.”

Mrs Benson called to people present for help, and was joined by RNLI lifeguards, and soon after by other emergency services.

Mr Benson was declared to have passed away shortly after 1pm that day.

A post-mortem report by Dr Daniel Howser stated Mr Benson had died after suffering a massive rupture to his right heart ventricle following the fall.

Reaching a conclusion of an accidental death, HM Coroner for Pembrokeshire Mark Layton said: “David Benson was walking down to the beach with his wife and grandson; he took a difficult route.

“Unfortunately, at some point Mr Benson has lost control and couldn’t stop falling over the cliff edge, where he sustained a fatal injury; a tragic death.”