A BABY died after he choked on a piece of apple as he was on a family day out at the zoo, an inquest heard.

Benjamin Masters, who was 10 months old, was with his mother Lucy and brother Dominic in the picnic area at Drusillas Park near Alfriston when he was given the piece of fruit.

His mother, an airline cabin crew worker, gave her son first aid, and after a customer shouted that a child was choking outside Mungo’s cafe, staff rushed over and administered first aid and CPR as the child had gone into cardiac arrest, according to a statement from the park’s director Cassie Pollard.

An ambulance was called and paramedics administered chest compressions, Daniel Hunt, of the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb), said. The piece of apple was removed and Benjamin was taken to Eastbourne District General Hospital before being transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit at St George’s Hospital in Tooting, London. He died there on April 24.

At the inquest at Eastbourne town hall, coroner Alan Craze said: “A case like this is rare and distressing for absolutely everybody. I’m sorry to have put you through it. Thank you for coming, I hope the process will give you a certain amount of closure.”

He concluded accidental death.

Benjamin’s father Adam Masters spoke at the inquest to thank the staff at Drusillas and the medics who tried to save his son’s life. They “did a fantastic job”, he said.

The family has since raised £17,500 through a JustGiving page for medical equipment or facilities to help parents with seriously sick children in a paediatric intensive care unit.

They wrote: “Benjamin received round the clock medical care from the medical staff, especially the nursing staff, and the dignity and dedication shown to Benjamin and us was humbling.”

They revealed that their little boy donated his heart, liver, kidneys, pancreas and small bowel.

“Nothing can fill the huge void we have in our hearts for Benjamin but we want to give something back to the team at PICU,” they wrote.

Among the donations was £10 from Kimberley Evans, who wrote: “Although it is truly devastating what happened to beautiful Benjamin, he has saved the lives for three people and his heart will beat on forever.”

Another anonymous donor wrote: “As a parent, I cannot imagine what you have had to go through and am blown away by your bravery and courage.”

To donate, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/benjamin-philip-masters