Shocking Scenes at a Bingo Hall

Players at an Airdrie bingo hall were in for a real shock last Thursday, when a local elderly woman named Williamina Cornes collapsed and died in the middle of a bingo game. The lady, aged 66, was also affectionately known by friends and family as Billie. Nobody expected Mrs Cornes to collapse and die in the middle of a game, but less so the scenes that followed. When paramedics arrived at the scene t find Mrs. Cornes laying on the floor of the bingo hall, they found that the game of bingo she was playing had continued! They attempted to revive her but to no avail. She was taken to Monklands Hospital where she was pronounced dead on arrival. The fact that the game had continued while Mrs. Cornes was being given medical attention made a lot of the players react angrily. Some mentioned that they felt disgusted at the decision taken by the Gala Bingo staff in Coatbridge, Airdrie.

A player who was sitting very close to Mrs. Cornes mentioned that she had seen how Mrs. Cornes had begun to feel ill and was finding it difficult to catch her breath. It was then that her daughter who was there with her at the game caught the attention of the first aider. When the paramedics arrived, to her amazement, the game continues and people carried on playing regardless. A few players were furious and disgusted that the game had not been stopped and some even left the bingo hall in protest.

Mrs. Stephen, who witnessed the whole terrible event said that she had felt really upset at the lack of humanity shown by the bingo hall and its bingo callers. She remembers shouting at the caller that life was too cheap in this day and age and asked him how he would feel if this had been his mother and the game had gone on. After a few other players reproached the behaviour, the bingo game was stopped temporarily, the bingo caller replaced and the game resumed shortly after. The bingo hall later said that it was company policy not to stop the game under any circumstances.

Many messages of support and of criticism have been posted in Facebook. A spokesperson for the company mentioned that the reason why gameplay continued was to stop people crowding around anyone who may become ill, so that they don’t panic and so that help can get to the person as soon as possible. The spokesperson felt saddened by the events that transpired at the club but assured the public that everything was done according to protocol.

The family of Mrs. Cornes did not want to get involved in the whole thing and mentioned that they are going through a tough enough time as it is to get involved in a debate about whether play should have stopped or continues. They expressed the desire to be left alone and mourn Billie’s death in peace.

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