An elderly patient died at a state mental hospital in Goldsboro last week after he reportedly choked on his food.
Lawrence Russell Jr., 80, died Feb. 2 following the incident at Cherry Hospital. According to a state report, Russell “appeared to choke” while eating his lunch. The staff attempted the Heimlich maneuver and other life-saving measures, according to the report, but were unable to revive him.
A patient on the hospital’s geriatric ward, the report says the staff had physically restrained Russell, who was from Beaufort County, the day before his death for three minutes. The report says there were no “complications” when Russell was restrained, but provides no further information about the incident.
