Irony Watch: Segway Boss (Hesco Tycoon) Dies in Freak Segway Accident

[The Bread Guy]

"A wealthy British businessman who owns the company that makes the two-wheeled Segway has been found dead in a river in northern England after apparently falling off a cliff on one of the vehicles, police said Monday.

The body of 62-year-old James Heselden and a Segway personal transporter were found in the River Wharfe and he was prounced dead at the scene, West Yorkshire Police said.

Police said a witness had reported seeing a man fall Sunday over a 30-foot (9-meter) drop into the river near Boston Spa, 140 miles (225 kilometers) north of London.

"The incident is not believed to be suspicious," police said, indicating that they do not believe anyone else was involved.

Heselden, who bought control of the New Hampshire-based Segway company in December, made his fortune through his firm Hesco Bastion Ltd., which developed a system to replace sand bags to protect troops.

Hesco Bastion is based in Leeds, near the tough Halton Moor area where Heselden grew up. He left school at 15 and first worked as a coal miner before becoming a businessman and philanthropist. Hesco Bastion said Heselden recently gave 10 million pounds ($15.9 million) to the Leeds Community Foundation, raising his total charitable giving to 23 million pounds ...."

More here.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

He was told not to buy Toyoto's acceleration systems.......

 

[The Bread Guy]

Tough crowd, tough crowd  ;D

 

[Old Sweat]

He was told not to buy Toyoto's acceleration systems.......

Now that we have heard from the Regimental Empathy Officer . . .

 

[Bluebulldog]

Actually, I kind of giggled at the thought of the sight of a segway and rider going off a 9M cliff. A-la a Monty Python type sketch.

Sorry, must be a morbid sense of humour / irony....

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

Yep, picturing someone dressed up like the Legion of Frontiersman and yelling in a Monty Python voice...'Follow me men!!"

 

[The Bread Guy]

Yep, picturing someone dressed up like the Legion of Frontiersman and yelling in a Monty Python voice...'Follow me men!!"

Since we all seem to be wearing our Cruel Shoes ©, I was thinking more like a scene where the guy's last line is, "Hi, I own the company, and driving one of these is as easy as falling off a....".

 

[Bluebulldog]

Since we all seem to be wearing our Cruel Shoes ©, I was thinking more like a scene where the guy's last line is, "Hi, I own the company, and driving one of these is as easy as falling off a....".

Yes...exactly.

Cruel shoes must be the order of the day. LOL.

 

[Bruce Monkhouse]

I know this is in bad taste but then so are Elvis/Micheal Jackson jokes,.........and the irony here overshadows anything the latter's deaths had.

 

[Blackadder1916]

In another news report of this incident, it mentioned that Jimi Heselden was riding the contraption around his own private  estate which included the cliff edge.  It is always a testament to the quality of a company's product that the company owner uses the product in the normal course of life.

Perhaps Heselden's final thoughts went something like this - "This may be a good place to put some Hesco barriers . . . shyteeeeeeee . . ."

 

[Bluebulldog]

One gin and tonic too many..

"Right blokes....watch me jump this 'ere gorge".....

 

[Old Sweat]

The thought of a certain cartoon coyote did come to mind. Beep, Beep!

 

[The Bread Guy]

The thought of a certain cartoon coyote did come to mind. Beep, Beep!

Complete with a less-than-advertised Acme product!

 

[HavokFour]

Probably should have been wearing this.

Also...

Ok, I'm done.

 

[Old and Tired]

This reminded me of the story of Jim  Fixx.  Now that was irony.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Fixx