Cornish farmer died after hay bale fell from stack

Summarised from Falmouth Packet's report · Updated 5 Nov, 22:50 · Archive

Rob Francis, 67, died after a half-tonne hay bale toppled onto him at his family farm in Cornwall.

Rob Francis, 67, died after a half-tonne hay bale toppled from a stack and pinned him to the ground at his Morwenstow farm in north Cornwall on 11 November 2025. An inquest at Cornwall Coroner's Court heard he had been using a tractor and muck grab to remove netting from a round bale in a stack four bales high when another fell from around shoulder height and landed on him.

His daughter Carrie, who had worked alongside him for ten years, was working in the same barn approximately 15 metres away. She heard a thud, investigated, found him pinned beneath the bale and managed to roll it off him before raising the alarm. Mr Francis was taken to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth with serious injuries including multiple fractures.

Initially his condition seemed stable; his wife Rosie told the inquest he had been 'chatty' in hospital and the family were told his broken bones were 'mendable'. However, his condition later deteriorated and he died three days after the accident. His wife raised concerns about hospital communication, saying the family felt they had 'not been kept in the loop' as his condition worsened.

Read the report

• Well known farmer died after half-tonne hay bale toppled onto himA Cornish farmer died after a half-tonne hay bale toppled from a stack and pinned him to the ground at his family farm.Falmouth Packet · 5 Nov, 10:45

In this story: Rob Francis · Carrie Francis · Rosie Francis · Morwenstow · Cornwall · Derriford Hospital · Cornwall Coroner's Court

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log