A MAN who hung upside down from a 300ft tower for 15 hours died of brain swelling and hypothermia, an inquest heard

Phil Longcake, 53, was pinned to the giant structure for up to 15 hours by just his left boot, which was wedged between the brickwork and a ladder.

4 Phil Longcake's family said he was struggling with 'historic trauma'

4 A massive rescue operation tried to save the man but he tragically died Credit: PA:Press Association

His desperate cries for help were heard and reported by a stunned passer-by at around 2.20am on Monday, October 28.

It sparked a major rescue operation involving a helicopter, a drone and a specialist 300ft cherry picker.

But when firefighters finally reached him on top of Dixon's Chimney in Carlisle, Cumbria, at around 4.45pm he was dead.

A post-mortem conducted three weeks ago concluded the council worker's cause of death to be "hypothermia and cerebral swelling" and "inverted suspension".

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned this morning in Cockermouth by Cumbria area coroner Kirsty Gomersal.

She said: "The details of Mr Longcake's death are that he was found suspended by his ankle on Dixon's chimney, Shaddongate, Carlisle.

"After a lengthy recovery operation, Mr Longcake was sadly declared deceased at the scene."

'BRAIN SWELLING'

The inquest was adjourned until March 23, 2020.

His family released a moving tribute to the dad and granddad after his death.

They said: “Phil was a strong, brave man who achieved a lot in his short life.

“Sadly, due to recent disclosures he made about historic trauma he suffered, Phil was battling with his mental health, with the love and support of his family and health professionals whilst trying to overcome this.

“He was a keen motorcyclist and would often spend weekends away with his son, Robert.

“He loved fell walking with his dog Ted and was a passionate musician who played the guitar, piano and accordion.

“He also loved to sing, and did his own covers of popular music.

“Phil was a fantastic granddad to his three grandchildren, James, George and William. They adored him.

“Phil had many wonderful and happy times with his family, and these memories will be treasured by his loved ones.

Phil had many wonderful and happy times with his family, and these memories will be treasured by his loved ones. Phil will be very much missed. The Longcake family

“Phil will be very much missed by his wife Andrea, his two children Robert and Laura and their partners Sarah and Darren, grandchildren James, George and William, dad Bill and brother John, and all his friends and those that knew him.”

We previously reported how resident Scott Mattinson, 24, and his fiance Nadene, 25, told how they heard wailing at around 10.30pm on Sunday.

Scott said: "We thought nothing of it at the time.

"But then at 1am Nadene woke up. We could hear shouting and a carry-on. We thought it was somebody who was drunk - you get used that.

"Then at 3am, there was more shouting, and it turns out that that was the police. We looked out of the window and saw blue lights flashing."

He added: "We saw this man, flailing around in a bit of a panic on the very edge of the chimney."

An HM Coastguard helicopter had first attempted a rescue but had to abort amid fears the downdraft could dislodge Phil.

It was a horrendous sight to see a man hanging from one foot. One boot. How he stayed there I do not know.

One said: "The steeplejacks remove the bottom ladder to the ground for health and safety reasons to prevent this very thing from happening.

"The question now is how did he manage to get 15ft up to reach the bottom rung of the ladder to make his way to the top."

Council chiefs insisted there was "no easy access" to the chimney which stands in a secure compound.

A spokeswoman said: "Recent works have been undertaken on the chimney building by a specialist contractor working on our behalf.

"The maintenance work was completed prior to the incident. The site is secure and is surrounded by a walled and gated compound.

"There is no direct access to the chimney from ground level.

"The ladders which are currently attached to the structure are temporary and were installed by the contractor to facilitate access to complete the maintenance repairs.

"These start from a height of 15ft above the ground. We are working with our specialist contractor to remove the ladders.

"We are continuing to support the police with their investigations and our thoughts are with those affected by the incident at this sad time."

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Dixon's Chimney and Shaddon Cotton Mill was built in Shaddongate, Carlisle, by Peter Dixon in 1836.

The chimney - one of the most iconic landmarks in Carlisle - was built to be tall enough to protect the city from the noxious smoke created at the mill.

In its 19th centruy heyday Shaddon Mill was the largest cotton mill in England and had the 8th largest chimney in the world.

The mill was given listed status in 1949 and Dixon's Chimney was listed in 1972.

4 Phil with his wife Andrea Credit: Facebook

4 The cherrypicker was brought in to help with the massive rescue effort Credit: PA:Press Association