An 11-year-old girl who drowned during a birthday party at a water park was a “beautiful, beaming beacon of light”, her father told an inquest where a coroner found she was unlawfully killed.
Kyra Hill got into difficulty in a designated swimming area in a lake at Liquid Leisure near Windsor, in Berkshire, on 6 August 2022. On Tuesday the senior coroner Heidi Connor said there had been gross health and safety breaches at the park.
Kyra’s father, Leonard Hill, fought back tears as he read a pen portrait of his daughter to the inquest. “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 had dreamed of being a footballer. “Had that dream not become her reality, she had her backup 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.
Speaking outside the court after the coroner made her finding, he added: “Summer should be a time of joy and creating happy memories with family and friends. It should never end in tragedy, should never mark the day we mourn our children’s lives, lost in places where they should have been safe.
“The terrible reality is that, without urgent reform, more families will face these devastating goodbyes. Kyra’s life was a shining example of resilience and strength. Her memory demands that we demand safer standards now.
“No parent should endure this pain, and no child’s life should be sacrificed so recklessly. We must act today for Kyra, and for every family that visits these leisure parks tomorrow. The time for words has passed. Now is the moment for action.”
The inquest heard that a lifeguard spotted Kyra in trouble and dived in after her, before getting out to radio colleagues. A manager got there quickly but 37 minutes passed before 999 was called.
Shortly before that, the park’s owner tried to phone a divemaster and off-duty firefighter, the inquest heard. The diver, Chris Knight, missed several calls, and CCTV showed him first entering the water more than an hour after Kyra had first been seen struggling.
The coroner said there were no signs warning of deep water, despite it reaching 4.67 metres (more than 15ft) in parts. “In fact the only sign present warned of shallow water,” she said.
Parents and carers were not advised to attend with children in a ratio of one to four, and young children were permitted to swim without buoyancy aids, the coroner said.
There was also no emergency plan or risk assessment that took those factors into account, and no control measures were identified and put in place to “take account of these clear risks”, she ruled.
Giving her conclusions, Connor said: “Members of the family, at no point have I forgotten that this was about your 11-year-old, Kyra, and I am so very sorry that you are here today. It must have been incredibly difficult to sit in court and hear some of the evidence that we’ve heard. I offer all of you my heartfelt condolences.”
