TRYING to swallow three pickled eggs in a Berkeley pub cost a father and former Royal Marine his life, a coroner heard.

After Gary Mark Sims, 55, tried to down three eggs in one go, he collapsed and although friends performed the Heimlich manoeuvre and tried to restart his heart nothing could save him, the inquest in Gloucester was told.

He died in an ambulance outside the Boar's Head Pub in Lynch Road, Berkeley, on Thursday, November 20.

His friend Alex Thackeray said in a statement read to the inquest that Mr Sims challenged another drinker to a pickled egg eating race.

"During the evening of the incident there was a group of us having a drink in the Boar's Head," he said.

"At 9pm a friend of his decided to buy pickled eggs, at which Gary issued a challenge, and more eggs were purchased.

"The two decided to have a race to see who could eat the quickest, with Gary putting all three in at once.

"He swallowed then took a swig with his pint to wash them down.

"I recall him trying to look at me directly before his eyes rolled in his head and he fell backwards.

"Initially it was believed he knocked himself out. Several of us picked him up and put him in the chair.

"It was very clear he was not breathing."

An ambulance was called and he said that the ambulance service call operator stayed on the line to issue advice.

"We tried to do the Heimlich manoeuvre without success," said Mr Thackeray.

They tried to unblock his airway with their fingers, while performing CPR, then were joined by the first ambulance crew member to arrive, who continued with CPR.

When another crew arrived, he was moved to an ambulance where more efforts to save him failed. He was pronounced dead at 11.04pm.

A report from the post mortem examination showed no relevant medical history related to his death.

It found that he suffered a hypoxic injury due to shortage of oxygen to the brain, which led it to swell.

A 22mm-long piece of white material consistent with being egg white was found in the right airway to the lungs.

A blood test revealed he had 136 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for driving is 80 milligrammes.

"The effect the alcohol would have had would have depended on his tolerance," said senior coroner Katy Skerrett. "It was high but not significant. It was probable the piece of egg white had become dislodged and pushed down.

"While drinking he entered a friendly competition or challenge with another drinker as to who could eat the pickled eggs the quickest.

"He started to choke and despite the efforts of his colleagues and paramedics, they could not save him."

She was satisfied that he died due to asphyxia, and she concluded the cause was accidental.