Gately BOYZONE died of 'fluid on lungs'

STEPHEN GATELY died after fluid filled his lungs it was revealed today.

A court official in Majorca - where the BOYZONE star
was holidaying at the time of his death - said a post mortem
examination had found that the singer suffered a pulmonary
oedema, an accumulation of fluid on the lungs.
But the underlying cause was not revealed. Further tests are to be carried out at a forensic clinic in Barcelona to establish further detail.


Experts warn that pulmonary oedema can be common in the over-50s as people suffer inefficient heart pumping, while in younger generations there is often an underlying problem.
Dr Noemi Eiser, honorary medical director of the British Lung Foundation, said: "Generally it's due to a problem with the heart not working well enough and that puts back pressure on the arteries from the heart into the vessels inside the lung.
"It's this back pressure that forces fluid from inside the blood vessels into lung tissue.
"You can't breathe, it's like drowning. It's very unpleasant breathlessness and will come on very suddenly.
"Generally you don't expect to see it very frequently in young people, it's quite rare."
Dr Eiser said the condition has been linked to drug overdoses, heavy drinking and smoking.
The Sun has told how Gately was drinking in a nightclub hours before his death.
An investigation into the death will continue, with Stephen's husband Andy Cowles, 32, and one other person declared as official witnesses.
The other person is likely to be Bulgarian Georgi Dochev, 25, who went back with the pair after a night partying in Majorca and was the first one to discover Stephen's lifeless body.
At a brief hearing in Majorca's capital Palma, a judge said the 33-year-old's body could now be taken home to Ireland by his family.
Lawyer Gerald Kean, a spokesman for Mr Gately's family, said papers had been signed to allow the release of his body but it may take two days.
He added: "The family's only wish is to get their son and brother home as soon as possible."