A globe-trotting adventurer, prize-winning photographer and much-loved Lake District businessman died in an accidental fall at his home in the Newlands Valley last year, a coroner has concluded.
Assistant coroner for Cumbria, Robert Cohen, made the ruling at the inquest on into the death of Stephen John Beinder which was held in Cockermouth.
The hearing was told that Mr Beinder, 70, fell as he made his way upstairs to bed at his home at Hindscarth Cottage, Stair, last September.
Statements from his wife Amanda reported that he had headed off to bed, telling her he loved her, before she heard him call out and then a loud crash.
Finding him on the floor, he managed to tell her that he just couldn’t get up the stairs, before losing consciousness, the inquest was told.
Paramedics and police were called with neighbours also attempting CPR but Mr Beinder was officially confirmed dead at 12.29am on September 18.
In the fall, he had suffered a cut to the back of the head, a left lung collapse and a fractured left rib.
The hearing was told he had also been receiving treatment for a number of serious underlying medical conditions, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which seriously affected his breathing, as well as prostate cancer.
In the hours before the fall, he had enjoyed some drinks with his wife and neighbours but coroner Mr Cohen was satisfied that his accidental death had been triggered by breathlessness.
Mr Cohen paid tribute to what he called a “much-loved member of the local community who had lived life to the full”, telling Mrs Beinder that he wished he could have met him.
Born in London and diagnosed with asthma from an early age, it never restricted his passion for the outdoors. Mr Beinder served in the Merchant Navy and worked in France as a canoeing instructor before coming to the Lake District around 1984 to take a job as an outdoor instructor at Newlands.
With two associates, he helped establish the Newlands Adventure Centre in 1988/89, which went on to become a great success.
He retired when he was 60 but maintained a keen interest in the success of the centre.
He and Amanda, a widow, got together in 2006 and married at Penrith Register Office in 2015, and loved travelling to places including New Zealand and Sri Lanka.
Paying tribute to him, she said: “I was absolutely shell-shocked by this incident. Stephen was my rock and I loved him very much. We were a great team and I miss him dearly. He was a wonderful man who inspired the lives of many. His legacy will be carried on in the form of Newlands Adventure Centre.”
A celebration of his life in November was attended by more than 100 people including those from France, Spain, Greece and South Africa.
Paying tribute, Debbie Beament, director of the Newlands centre, said: “The growth of the outdoor sector in the area gave many people the chance to work in a fun-filled environment, and many local instructors will look back and remember Steve for the opportunity he gave them.
“He was passionate about the great outdoors and its benefits to young people in particular, and will be sorely missed by all that knew him.”
