Granddad dies in church accident
A GRANDFATHER has died after a tragic accident at the church where he worshipped all of his life.
Retired architect Jim Paterson suffered fatal head injuries when he fell from a ladder while painting at Wishaw Baptist Church.
Mr Paterson, of Hamilton Road, Motherwell, was in a group of church members who do odd jobs at the building in Belhaven Terrace.
One churchgoer said: “This is really tragic. It’s the last thing you expect when you meet up to do a bit of DIY work.”
Mr Paterson’s family were at the scene of the tragedy for his funeral service yesterday (Wednesday).
The accident happened on Monday of last week. Mr Paterson was painting a ceiling at the church when he fell.
Other members of the group rushed to his aid. He had suffered head injuries when he landed on the stone floor and was unconscious, but still breathing.
The emergency services were alerted and he was taken to Wishaw General, but doctors were unable to save him.
Mr Paterson is survived by his wife, Margaret, daughters Jane and Jennifer and their families.
For many years he and Robin Russell ran their chartered architects business, Russell Paterson Associates, in Hamilton.
Stan Cook, former director of planning with North Lanarkshire Council, said his death had come as a great shock.
Mr Cook said: “I’m very sorry to hear about this. I worked with Jim on planning applications and always found him to be a very professional man who did a great job.
“There were never any problems when we had discussions over the details of applications.”
Rev Colin Mackenzie, minister at Wishaw Baptist Church, declined to comment on the tragedy before Mr Paterson’s funeral.
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Weather for Motherwell, Scotland
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 16 mph
Wind direction: East
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Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
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