Who was Marcel Bruchal? Boy, 14, fell to death from 7th floor balcony 'trying to look up at stars'
A 14-year-old boy, who fell to his death from a 7th-floor balcony in East London in March this year, "tried to look up at the stars", a coroner has concluded. Marcel Bruchal, from Newham, was at his grandparent's newly refurbed maisonette at Sleaford House, Bow when he plummeted onto the tarmac of Blackthorn Street around 9:15 pm on March 19.
A family member recalled him looking over a balcony "in a weird way" twice before his death. Narrating the unfortunate incident, the family member told Daily Mail that an ambulance arrived at the scene at 9.35 pm and found a badly injured Marcel suffering a cardiac arrest. Paramedics put a tube in to help him breathe and performed CPR while rushing him to Royal London Hospital at 10:06 pm. However, resuscitation attempts stopped at 10:09 pm and Marcel was declared dead.
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Marcel was a 'well liked' and 'respected' student at Oasis Academy Silvertown, in North Woolwich, who had a love of astronomy, according to The Sun. A devastating statement by his grandma Iwoulia Wozniak recalled their last moments together before his tragic death. She said, "That evening was a very starry night and there was a comet going past. Maybe he lent out to have a look...We know for sure Marcel did not plan it."
Marcel was "very excited" to stay with his grandparents for the first time in a year after they fixed up their flat. After Marcel finished school on a Friday, March 18, he and a family member spent the evening watching TV. On Saturday morning they shared German sausages with mustard "as a treat for breakfast" and then went to the University of East London to play table tennis for two hours. Daily Mail reports that Iwona said it was "fantastic" and they "danced around". She continued, "While we were dancing salsa Marcel left to go to the toilet for a while. A family member followed him out as he did not think he was coming back. He saw Marcel standing by the balcony and looking down. He described Marcel looking at it in a weird way."
Iwona then took them to Tesco to shop and noted Marcel was "joined at my hip" and "thought it was weird at the time". But, Marcel's mother Karolina told her it was normal and he was "clingy". When they got back Marcel watched 'Jumanji' and suggested doing karaoke after they had eaten. Iwona remembered opening the balcony door and Marcel and the family member went outside. Her world suddenly turned upside down as she heard the cries of the family member. She said, "I heard him shout 'Marcel no Marcel no Marcel why?' He was next to me shouting and crying but I could not make sense of what he was saying. He grabbed my hand and took me to the balcony. I looked out over the balcony, I did not know what he wanted me to look at. I was told 'Marcel is laying there'." "Then I recognised Marcel's top, we ran out of the block and we saw him laying there. He was not on the pavement, he was laying far from the building. My husband moved him around a bit, but I was shouting hysterically, I was shaking. I told my husband not to touch him because I wanted to cover him up with the patchwork but at that point, the ambulance turned up."
Iwona said she did not know if someone had witnessed the fall and what reason Marcel "might have jumped". Marcel was reportedly bullied at school and she recalled an incident a few months earlier where "there was a boy making smacking noises at him and saying 'Are you gay?'". Despite this, she added: "I do not think bullying was the reason."
According to The Metro, in an investigation into his death, detectives found ‘nothing untoward’ after checking his mobile phone for messages. Concluding this week’s hearing, Coroner Mary Hassell said "Some elements of how Marcel died are clear to me, but some are more difficult to understand." A toxicologist ruled there was nothing abnormal in Marcel's blood test and a pathologist ruled his death 1A Multiple Injuries after 'devastating' damage to his body from the fall.
Leading tributes after his death, Marcel's mother Karolina Bruchal said, "In our lifetime, we never thought we would be in this situation. My worst nightmares never thought I would ever write these words. And I write because we are so lethargic and helpless because we would like to wake up so much. There are no more tears. Our beloved, beautiful, smart, intelligent, and sensitive Marcelek." A letter, left by his grandparents at the scene, read "Dearest Marcel, it is hard to put in words how empty our lives have become one day to another. You will stay in our hearts forever, you will always be our beloved first grandson. We love you more than life itself, as hard as it is only possible. We are in despair and feel an overwhelming emptiness without you. Grandma and Grandpa."
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).