Loading ...

Girl, 11, unlawfully killed after she drowned at waterpark, inquest rules

Kyra Hill died after getting into difficulty in a designated swimming area at Liquid Leisure near Windsor while attending a birthday party on 6 August 2022.

The coroner found there were gross breaches of health and safety measures at the park which contributed to her death.

An inquest at Berkshire Coroner’s Court heard how the schoolgirl was found more than an hour after emergency services were alerted and was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

On Friday, Rachel Marcus, representing the Hill family, asked senior coroner Heidi Connor to consider possible gross negligence manslaughter by Liquid Leisure owner and director Stuart Marston, as well as corporate manslaughter ahead of her conclusion.

Angus Withington KC, representing Liquid Leisure, said in his submissions that the company was “a separate and distinct legal entity” to Mr Marston, adding that the firm was “responsible for all of the activities”.

He added, in relation to corporate manslaughter, that there were “no national or international standards or any specific health and safety legislation” which would enable the coroner to decide if the “arrangements were a breach of duty or a gross breach of duty”.

The inquest heard there were no signs warning of deep water at the leisure park.

Despite various sharp drops of up to 4.5m (14.7ft) within the swimming zone, the only signs relating to depth said “danger shallow water”.

The lake where Kyra was seen going under was 2.68m (8.8ft) deep, a report carried out after the incident found.

A 17-year-old lifeguard managed to reach the point where Kyra disappeared but staff at the centre are only qualified to perform “surface-water rescues” – not underwater ones.

The inquest heard evidence how there was a 10-minute gap between the first and second searches for the youngster in that part of the lake.

Although a manager attended rapidly, 37 minutes passed between Kyra struggling and 999 being called.

The frantic search was likened to a “nightmare” by a mother attending the birthday party, while a police officer described it as a “chaotic scene” due to “conflicting” information being fed to the emergency crews.

The diver who eventually found Kyra told the inquest the lake had “almost zero visibility”.

A post-mortem examination confirmed the cause of death as “drowning”.

At the time of the incident, her father told Sky News she was “left to drown” and accused the operator of “neglect”.

Speaking at court on Tuesday, Leonard Hill fought back tears as he read a pen portrait of his daughter.

He said: “Kyra was a beautiful, beaming beacon of light in the lives of all who were fortunate enough to know her.

“With her naturally enchanting, bright, and beautiful eyes – paired with the softest, sweetest and warmest smile – she captivated hearts effortlessly.

“A spirited individual, Kyra was resolute in her beliefs. She would stand up for what was right without hesitation, always the first to challenge a bully or defend a friend.

“Guided by an unwavering moral compass, she was a protector at heart, fiercely caring for her loved ones and always considering the feelings of others.”

His Manchester United-supporting daughter dreamed of becoming a professional footballer.

“Had that dream not become her reality, she had her back-up plan to pursue law and become a lawyer and fight for the truth, stating that she would ‘never defend evil people in court’,” he said.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

On Air Next

Weather

DRIFFIELD WEATHER

Save cash with us!