'He started speaking in a strange language - two hours later he was dead'
The family of a young man who died after taking ecstasy have questioned why his friends failed to ring an ambulance, an inquest heard.
Jakub Jarzecki had moved from his home in Italy to Lancashire several years ago and worked at Nelson manufacturer Wellocks alongside his brother-in-law Mateusz.
The 21-year-old had worked a night shift on May 1 of this year when he, and several of his colleagues, learned that a work friend had been suspended. They all agreed to have a drink after work in case "he never returned".
READ MORE: 'We are absolutely broken': Family devastated as 'beautiful' girl dies three years after big brother
The group went back to a female colleague's house in Castle Street with Jakub's brother-in-law Mateusz leaving after one drink. A couple of hours later, at around 8am, Mateusz received a call from someone still at the house who said something was wrong with Jakub.
Mateusz then went round to the property where one of the others was reluctant to call an ambulance. However, after taking a look at Jakub, Mateusz immediately recognised that he was seriously unwell and said: "Are you f****** mad? He looks like he's dying."
Paramedics arrived at 9.32am and noted that Jakub's heart rate was very high, at 150 beats per minute, and he also had a very high temperature and respiratory rate.
As the ambulance raced to the Royal Blackburn Hospital Jakub began to suffer seizures and, just before arriving at A&E, he went into cardiac arrest.
At the emergency department doctors continued CPR for 30 minutes, while also administering fluids, insulin and dextrose due to his acidic blood, but as Jakub's condition deteriorated they realised that their efforts were futile and made the decision to stop attempting to resuscitate him.
An inquest held today (September 20) at Preston Coroner's Court heard a statement from Jakub's work friend Katarzyna whose house he had been at when he collapsed.
"Jakub was a cheerful person who I could joke with but who I could also talk to about serious things," she said. "At 7pm I started work and one man was suspended from work and sent home.
"We said we should all meet and have a drink as he might not come back to work. After work we went to my house in Nelson.
"Something was happening to Jakub. His eyes were open and he was speaking in a strange language. We didn't know who he was talking to. He was behaving strangely."
After Jakub's death detectives searched the property in Castle Street where they found two empty snap-seal bags similar to those which illegal drugs are often sold in.
Detective Inspector Iain Czapowski, of Blackburn CID, said that he could find no evidence that drugs had been consumed on the premises. However, he added: "What stood out was the sheer quantity of alcohol that had been consumed."
In a statement Jakub's brother-in-law Mateusz said: "I think they were all taking drugs as I can't think why they wouldn't call an ambulance sooner. I just don't understand why they didn't call an ambulance."
Jakub's sister Klaudia added: "It's been the hardest time of our lives trying to cope with what's happened."
Toxicology tests carried out after Jakub's death revealed he had levels of MDMA (ecstasy) in his system which were within the range encountered in fatalities.
Concluding that Jakub's death was drug-related, Assistant Coroner Sian Jones said: "When his brother-in-law arrived, even to a lay person it was clear it wasn't a case of someone who was drunk. He was incoherent and talking in a strange language.
"The person whose phone he used was still reluctant to call an ambulance and one has to wonder why that was. The reluctance to call an ambulance suggests to me that at least some of those present were aware something has been taken and were worried, maybe due to their employment."
A GoFundMe page set up by Jakub's colleague Ryan Holt after his death raised more than £2,000 towards the funeral in order to give him the "send-off he deserves".
On the page he wrote: "Our colleague Jakub sadly passed away on May 2. He started with the company in February 2022 and in that time he has spent time working as part of the night dairy team and the night freezer team and built relationships right across the warehouse."