Cause of Death Revealed for Former Child Actor William Chapman After Fatal Tiger Attack
The troubled former child actor mauled to death by a tiger at a UK wildlife park had climbed two fences to jump into the predator’s enclosure before suffering “multiple traumatic injuries,” coroners said Thursday.
William Chapman, 24, had been diagnosed with “schizophrenia” and suffered “previous bouts of psychosis” before being mauled to death in front of fellow parkgoers on Saturday at Yorkshire Wildlife Park in northern England.
“[Chapman] climbed two fences and entered the tiger enclosure,” the coroner said at a hearing into his shocking caught-on-camera death, according to Yorkshire Live.
“He approached the tiger and following an interaction suffered multiple traumatic injuries.”
The provisional cause of death is multiple traumatic injuries and animal interaction.
Chapman, a trader, was pronounced ᴅᴇᴀᴅ at the scene, while the 5-year-old Siberian tiger, Altai, was detained by wildlife park staffers.
His family chose not to attend the opening of his inquest at Doncaster Coroners Court — which has now been adjourned to March 18 next year.
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The troubled former child actor mauled to death by a tiger at a UK wildlife park had climbed two fences to jump into the predator’s enclosure before…