Mum, 26, found dead in flooded field after accidentally falling off barbed wire fence while drunk as she went to shops
A TRAGIC mum was found dead in a flooded field after accidentally falling from a barbed wire fence while drunk as she went to the shops.
Hedwig Taaru, 26, who had a three-year-old son, was found without her top on and submerged in a pool of icy water after an evening with family.
She vanished from her home in Purley-on-Thames, Reading, 12 hours before a shocked neighbour found her body.
Today, Berkshire coroner Ian Wade QC said that while Ms Taaru had previously spoken of "throwing herself in the River Thames", he believed her death was a freak accident.
"On the evening of March 6 2020 she indulged in a drinking binge - she was very drunk," he said.
"It appears that she wandered towards the river. She had spoken about throwing herself into the river.
"She walked away from the river but sadly she was not able to get back across the muddy flood-drenched field back to her home.
"I am satisfied that was all she was trying to do, she was intending to go back home.
"She even got as far as the barbed wire fence. She tried to climb it but was not successful.
"Unfortunately, she fell backwards into the mud. In her state she was not able to take the steps to save herself.
"In the confusion, lying in the shallow pool of water was enough to cause her to remain immobile, but in effect, lying in that cold, muddy water overnight was the cause of her death."
And he said that, despite being "ferociously bright", Ms Taaru didn't understand the "danger she was in" - leading to the "appalling accident".
In a statement, cops said the field had become difficult to cross as it was a "quagmire of mud".
'SHE ADORED HER LITTLE BOY'
It's believed Ms Taaru removed her own clothing as hypothermia set in. The condition can falsely lead sufferers to believe they're hot.
The neighbour who discovered her the following day while walking his dog said he believed she was "covered in mud".
Her keys were beside her, but her new iPhone and AirPods were found in another field.
Tests revealed she was still three-and-a-half times the drink-drive limit.
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A pathologist said she had died from hypothermia.
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The young law graduate fell pregnant with son Isaiah while at university. The child lives with his grandmother.
Mr Wade said Ms Taaru "quite palpably loved Isaiah very much", while the little boy "adored his mother".
