D Wednesday, October 14, 2009 METRO By Con doherty Gately died from fluid on his lungs BOYZONE singer Stephen Gately died of natural causes, an autopsy es- tablished yesterday. The star died of an acute accumula- tion fluid on his lungs, known as pul- monary oedema, a post-mortem ex- amination confirmed. The result supports speculation the 33-year-old, who died after a night of drinking on the island, choked on his vomit. A judge has also authorised his part- ner Andrew Cowles or family to take the body home. It may be two days before it is repatriated. Gatelys family are convinced drugs did not play a part and that he did not commit suicide. A sample of pulmonary fluid taken during the autopsy will be sent to a forensic laboratory in Barcelona for further tests to confirm the result, a court official said. She could not say whether Gately had been taking drugs or alcohol but, in any case, they were not the cause of death. She declined to say if he had vomited. Cowles, who was told of the results before the hearing, was ushered from court looking upset. A witness is thought to be Bulgarian Georgi Dochev, 25. He went back to the exclusive apartment near Port An- dratx with Gately and Cowles after their night out and has described find- ing the singers lifeless body on Sat- urday. Lawyer Gerald Kean, a spokesman for Gatelys family in Ireland, said: This sort of thing does happen, we are absolutely happy that there is no foul play, he added. Cowles paid his respects to his hus- band last night at the municipal cem- etery in Calvia, near Port Andratx. He stayed for about 15minutes and left without comment. Lawyer Gerald Kean, a spokesman for Gatelys family in Ireland, said papers had been signed to allow the release of his body, but said it may be two days before he is returned to Ire- land. The familys only wish is to get their son and brother home as soon as possible, Mr Kean said. The funeral looks likely to be on Saturday. Stephen Gately: taken too soon distraught: Andrew Cowles visits husband Stephen Gatelys body Death was from a rare conditionTHE music world is peppered with scores of untimely deaths, with Stephen Gately now among the list of stars gone too soon. The singer died from fluid on the lungs in medical terms pulmonary oedema. Experts warn it 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, explained the condition. Generally its 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, she said. Its this back pressure that forces fluid from inside the blood vessels into lung tissue. Its unpleasant. You cant breathe, its like drowning. Generally you dont expect to see it in young people, its quite rare, she added. Dr Eiser said the condition has been linked to drugs overdoses, but added: I wouldnt like to say this is the most likely cause in this case. Boyzone singers grief-stricken husband too shocked to speak out Untimely: Were all in shock Stephen was a one-off POP guru Louis Walsh paid a glowing tribute to his friend and Boyzone star Stephen Gately last night, remembering him as a one- off great professional. The X Factor judge said he was still in shock over the sudden death last weekend while the bandmates were devastated at the loss of their best friend. Were all in shock. Nobody can believe it - the guys, me, nobody. We are in shock, he said. Walsh, who put Boyzone together in the mid- 1990s, was with Gately and the rest of the band last week in London to discuss the final 10 tracks for the comeback album. He said he had never seen the 33- year-old West End star in better health or better form. The boys are devastated. Its like they have lost their very, very best friend, and me too, Walsh said. And he paid tribute to Gatelys upbringing in a tough district of inner city Dublin. He came from Sheriff Street. He was a very working class kid. All he wanted to do was sing and go to the West End and he loved Disney. A great, great, great professional kid. index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html