who died 12 months ago -- nine years after suffering severe brain damage in a ladder fall.

Mr. Percy Iris, a Bermuda Electric Light Company employee, ended up in an irreversible coma.

An inquest heard yesterday how a colleague saw him fall 11 feet from the ladder.

Mr. George Holdipp said Mr. Iris had set out to reconnect wires on a street light in Harrington Sound Road, Smith's, without a safety helmet or harness.

"He arced backward and fell directly on his head,'' recalled Mr. Holdipp.

"There was no sound. He did not try to grab hold of anything or save himself.

"It was just like he blacked out. I was so surprised I could not do anything.

I was frightened and could not move.

"After he hit the ground I reached out to him. He was lying on his back, listless and unconscious.'' Mr. Holdipp, from Smith's, said he was at the foot of the ladder when his colleague fell on September 28, 1982. "I had a hand on the ladder and was watching for traffic,'' he said.

Mr. Holdipp said there were no live wires projecting from the pole, and there was plenty of insulation.

He added his colleague's task involved skinning the insulation from the wires, making a reconnection, and retaping.

"It was a regular procedure,'' he commented.

The pair, who worked together as a team for many years, had been sent out to correct road light supplies.

After the fall, 51-year-old Mr. Iris, from Warwick, was cared for by passers-by while an ambulance was called.

Lawyer Mr. Ed Bailey, acting for the family of the deceased, asked Mr. Holdipp whether the ladder had moved.

Mr. Holdipp replied "no'', saying he received no forewarning about the fall.

Mr. Fred Blanchette, Belco superintendent responsible for electric lines, described Mr. Iris as a first-class lineman.

He said Mr. Iris normally worked with 4,000 volts -- the voltage in this case was just 240.

"To get an electric shock in this case you would have to hold both wires with your bare hands.'' He added: "The likelihood of electrocution was ruled out.'' Mr. Blanchette said safety gear not worn by Mr. Iris was available on his truck.

But he pointed out the helmet was designed to protect its wearer from falling objects.

"It would have only had a little effect in a fall such as this, I believe.'' Mr. Blanchette said safety measures had been toughened up since the tragedy.

"I insist workers under my charge wear helmets. If for whatever reason they don't then they are taken off the job.'' Under questioning from Mr. Bailey, Mr. Blanchette said he had checked the ladder following the fall. It was in good condition.

Mr. Terry Greene, from Southampton, told the inquest of visits he paid his father in hospital years after the accident.

Mr. Iris drifted between consciousness and unconsciousness -- but had no recollection of the accident.

Consultant pathologist Dr. John Winwick said Mr. Iris died from broncho-pneumonia, on May 30 last year.

The chest infection was directly linked to the head injuries he suffered in the fall.

Dr. Winwick speculated Mr. Iris may have suffered a blackout or dizzy spell while up the ladder.

Other possibilities included a small brain haemorrhage, or a heart spasm.

Coroner the Wor. John Judge delivered a verdict of accidental death.