Girl, 11, who drowned at water park birthday party was unlawfully killed, coroner rules
AN 11-YEAR-OLD girl’s tragic death at a water park has been ruled “unlawful” by a coroner.
Kyra Hill, 11, died after drowning in a designated swimming area at Liquid Leisure in Windsor.
Senior Coroner Heidi Connor concluded that there were gross breaches of health and safety at the park.
The inquest – held at Berkshire’s Coroner Court – heard that several water features had signs which described them as “shallow” despite there being “various sharp drops”.
Some of the drops measured as much as 4.5m.
Commenting on the poor signage, Ms Connor said: “In fact the only sign present warned of shallow water.”
She added that young children were permitted to swim without buoyancy aids and that parents were not advised to attend with a ratio of one adult per four children.
Rachel Marcus, representing Kyra’s family, asked Ms Connor to consider a charge of gross negligence manslaughter by Liquid Leisure owner Stuart Marston.
She also called for an additional charge of corporate manslaughter.
Liquid Leisure’s representative, Angus Withington KC, said that the company was a “separate and distinct legal entity” to Mr Marston.
He added that the firm was “responsible for all of the activities”.
Mr Withington also said that there were “no national or international standards or any specific health and safety legislation” which would allow a coroner to decide if the “arrangements were a breach of duty or a gross breach of duty”.
Kyra vanished in August 2022, while attending the leisure centre with her family.
Authorities were called at 3.55pm, but the youngster was sadly found over an hour later at 5.10pm.
She was found to have drowned in a body of water as deep as 2.68m.
A 17-year-old lifeguard managed to reach the point where Kyra disappeared but was unable to rescue her as the Liquid Leisure staff were only qualified to perform “surface-water rescues”.
The inquest previously heard that Kyra was “a girl who supported Manchester United and who dreamt of a career in law”.
Her father, Leonard Hill, told Sky News that she had been “left to drown” and accused the park’s operator of “neglect”.
Speaking in court on Tuesday, 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.”
He added that Kyra also dreamed of becoming a footballer, though her back-up plan had been to become a lawyer.
Leonard said: “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’.”