The Westminster Coroner’s Court has heard that the death of The Cranberries frontwoman Dolores O’Riordan was the result of drowning, BBC News reports.
The Irish rock icon died on 15th January this year, aged 46. She was found submerged in the bathtub in her room at Park Lane Hilton Hotel in London with no injuries or evidence of self harm, but had consumed an excessive amount of alcohol, expert witnesses said.
The Coroner said O’Riordan died as a result of a “tragic accident”, as the toxicology report found that while she’d only taken “therapeutic amounts” of prescription medication, her blood alcohol level showed 330mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
The inquest, attended by her mother, brother, and sister-in-law, heard that she’d checked into the hotel on 14th January, had been in touch with room service around midnight and her mother at 3am, before being found unresponsive and confirmed dead at 9:16am that morning.
It was also confirmed in the inquest that O’Riordan had bipolar disorder but responded well to treatment and had been in ‘good spirits’ on 9th January when she’d last spoken to psychiatrist, Dr Seamus O’Ceallaigh.
The Cranberries released a statement on Twitter today saying, “Dolores will live on eternally in her music. To see how much of a positive impact she had on people’s lives has been a source of great comfort to us.”
The band are expected to release their last album with O’Riordan’s vocals next year, and recently announced a 25th anniversary reissue of their seminal album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We?.
Read their statement in full, below.
If you or anyone you know needs help or information regarding mental health, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636.
— The Cranberries (@The_Cranberries) September 6, 2018
