A TALENTED sportsman plunged 14 floors to his death down a lift shaft in a horrific accident.

Respected student Toby Mann stepped through open lift doors without realising the lift cabin was not there, district coroner Sheriff Payne heard at a Bournemouth inquest.

The 18-year-old's shocked friend heard him crying for help and tried desperately to save him following the incident, which took place during a trip to Argentina in March this year.

But the former Milton Abbey School pupil died the next day from multiple injuries with internal and external bleeding.

A Bournemouth inquest was told Mr Mann, whose parents live at Bowerchalke on the Dorset/Wiltshire border, was in Buenos Aires with his friend, Timothy Bradley.

He intended to return to Britain to continue his studies at Newcastle University. He hoped to join the Army and then become a farmer.

Mr Payne was told the two friends had spent Saturday, March 13, shopping, swimming and sailing before returning to an apartment belonging to a friend. They left the 14th floor apartment at about 10.30pm to go out for dinner.

In a statement to the inquest Mr Bradley said he was locking the door of the apartment as his friend headed for the lift.

When he turned around, he could not see his friend but realised the lift door was open and the lift shaft was dark.

"He could hear his friend calling for help so he ran downstairs to ask for help in the security office," said coroner's officer Julian Jeneson.

"He was talking to Toby through the door of the lift. When the door was opened he could see him on top of the roof of the lift."

Mr Mann was taken to hospital, where he died the following afternoon.

Checks revealed faults with the lift doors which allowed them to open on the 7th, 13th and 14th floors despite the lift cabin not being there.

There will be no prosecution due to legal technicalities but regulations governing service lifts may be changed.

Toby was the middle child of three sons of Angus and Jane Mann, who run a large farm at Bowerchalke.

His distraught father said Toby's two brothers Timothy, 20, and Hugo, 15, were very upset and missing him.

"It was incredibly sad for us all," said Mr Mann.

"He was a wonderful lad and he was going to go places.

"He was a great sportsman. He played rugby for Salisbury Seconds and he was a great lover of fieldsports ."

Toby went to Forres Sandle Manor School in Fordingbridge until he was 13.

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.

First published: Oct 21