At 9:15 p.m. on March 19, Marcel Bruchal from Newham was at his grandparents’ newly renovated maisonette at Sleaford Home, Bow when he tragically fell through the ground and landed on Blackthorn Road.
Somebody in his family reported that Marcel appeared over a balcony “in an odd manner” twice before he passed away. At 9:35 p.m., an ambulance arrived on the scene and found Marcel severely damaged and suffering from a heart attack.
At 10:06 pm, paramedics put a tube into his throat for breathing support and gave him CPR while transporting him to Royal London Hospital; however at 10:09 pm doctors gave up trying to save much of Marcel’s life and declared him unsalvageable.
The Solar reports that Marcel was a beloved student at Oasis Academy Silvertown in North Woolwich who loved astronomy. Iwoulia Wozniak, his grandmother, shared something very poignant about their last evening together before he passed away: “That night, there were lots of stars out and a comet glided by… We’re sure it wasn’t intentional!”
On March 18, after Marcel returned home from college, his grandparents welcomed him into their home for the first time in over a year.
He was “very thrilled.” That evening, while Marcel and a member of his family watched TV all evening long – it had been over a year since they’d last been together.
On Saturday morning, they enjoyed German sausages with mustard for breakfast before playing desk tennis for two hours at College of East London. Iwona told The Daily Mail it was “nice” and they “danced around.”
She continued, “Marcel had gone to the bathroom for some time while we were dancing salsa. His family went with him because he didn’t think he would return.
He noticed Marcel standing on the balcony looking down and talked about how strange Marcel seemed in a strange way.”
Iwona then took Marcel and Karolina shopping at Tesco, noting that Marcel was “joined at my hip”. Although she thought it odd at the time, Marcel’s mother assured her it was regular and Marcel just needed some space.
Once they settled in, Marcel watched “Jumanji,” then after dinner he suggested they do some karaoke. Iwona remembered Marcel and another member of his family going outside when she opened up the door to their balcony.
She remembered hearing a member of her family yell “Marcel!” but couldn’t make out what he was saying. When I asked what had happened, she told me, “Marcel! Marcel!” but couldn’t seem to make out what he was asking.
He took me to the balcony by grasping my hand and gesturing for me to look over. “Marcel is lying there,” I was informed, as we ran out of the building to see him there.
He wasn’t lying on the sidewalk; rather, he was far away from the building. My husband moved him around a bit, but I was screaming and shaking so hard that I couldn’t hear him.
I begged my husband not to contact him since I wanted patchwork over him before ambulance arrived.”
Iwona said she didn’t know if anyone had seen Marcel fall or why he “may have needed to jump.” Marcel had been bullied in school, and Iwona remembered a time two months earlier when “a boy made smacking noises at him and asked, ‘Are you homosexual?'” Nonetheless, she believed it wasn’t due to bullying.
The Metro reports that when detectives examined Marcel’s text messages as part of their investigation into his death, they discovered “nothing unusual.”
At the conclusion of this week’s hearing, Coroner Mary Hassell noted, “Some elements of Marcel’s passing are clear to me but others remain uncertain.”
A toxicologist confirmed Marcel’s blood test revealed nothing abnormal and a pathologist concluded he died from 1A Multiple Accidents due to the “devastating” damage the autumn had done to his physique.
After Marcel’s passing, Karolina Bruchal spoke fondly of him: “Never in our wildest dreams did I think we’d find ourselves here – even writing these words now – even if we feel sleepy and helpless inside. Even now, though we wish for change so badly.”
No extra tears are shed for Marcelek, whom we adore. His grandparents left a letter at the scene which read: “Expensive Marcel, it’s difficult to explain how empty our lives have become from one moment to the next.” As our beloved first grandson, we will always love and adore you.
Though it’s difficult to express, our affection for you surpasses even life itself – and when there’s nothing left on this planet without you, we truly feel like there’s nothing left for us to love. Your grandparents.”
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