A man who was paralysed in a diving accident in the 1960s has died nearly 60 years later from a urinary infection.

On September 19 last year, Terence Smith, who lived in Aylesbury, died at Stoke Mandeville Hospital aged 75.

An inquest into his death took place at Beaconsfield Coroners Court on Wednesday.

The court heard how in 1963, when he was still a teenager, Mr Smith had suffered a diving accident while serving in the Merchant Navy, causing severe damage to his neck and spine.

Mr Smith, who was originally from Middlesbrough, was left paralysed and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair.

The court heard how due to his paralysis, Mr Smith often suffered urinary tract infections. His friend and carer Sylvia Nicol told the court how she would have to “physically bang his stomach” at times to help him pass urine.

On September 10, 2020, Mr Pike was admitted to the intensive care unit at Stoke Mandeville with urosepsis. He had suffered renal failure and had a stone obstructing his left kidney.

Mr Smith died in hospital nine days later.

At the inquest, Ms Nicol, who was also Mr Pike’s power of attorney, questioned why Mr Pike had not been seen sooner by a spinal specialist, given that many of his health problems stemmed from his old injury.

The coroner, Crispin Butler, said: “By the time they come to treat him, although he might not have been poorly shortly before that, by the time he gets there he was too poorly.

“By that time, the urosepsis is there and that’s the end of it.”

Concluding, Mr Butler stated that the cause of death was “infection to which a long-term injury contributed more than minimally.”

He also paid tribute to Ms Nicol for the way she had cared for him throughout his life.

He said: “You have been a loyal friend to Terry for many years, right up to the point of his inquest.

“You have done your duty by him over the years, and you have done your duty by him today.”