Girl, 10, suffocated after being swept away in mudslide on school trip

A girl was trapped in a flash mudslide during a school trip while crossing a stream, an inquest into her death has heard.

The circumstances that led to the death of Leah Harrison, 10, from Darlington, County Durham, have been revealed after an inquest opened into the ‘tragic accident’ on May 22 last year.

Leah was swept off her feet by a torrent of mud when she was out on a walk with fellow Year 6 pupils and an instructor.

The mudslide, which struck after rainy weather at Carlton Bank near the North York Moors south of Middlesbrough, carried her 20 feet down the stream, leaving Leah face-down in thick mud.

The mudslide ‘came out of nowhere’

Leah’s grieving mother Michelle Harrison had considered not letting her daughter go on the three-day residential trip from Mount Pleasant Primary School to the Carlton Adventure centre, she told the inquest opening at Teesside Magistrates’ Court today.

But, Leah was ‘so excited’ to go on the trip when she was dropped off, Ms Harrison said.

‘In the days leading up to the tragic accident on May 22, Leah had been poorly with tonsillitis … I was undecided as to whether I should let her go, with her being poorly, but she seemed to pick up by the afternoon.

‘I gave her the biggest kiss and cuddle and told her to have the best time. That was the last time I saw my daughter alive,’ she said.

Leah’s school’s headteacher, Joanne Blackham, told the inquest the mudslide ‘came out of nowhere’ and ‘just took (Leah) away,’ adding that ‘we didn’t hear it, we couldn’t see it.’

She insisted that previous, regular trips to the centre, which is run by Hartlepool Borough Council, had gone on without ‘so much as a broken toe.’

What was the weather like before the accident?

The school and staff at the centre didn’t have concerns about the weather as it was ‘just a rainy day.’

A Met Office yellow weather warning was in force in the area on the day of the accident.

Paul Godwin, a senior activities officer at the centre, said the weather was ‘misty and drizzly,’ but he was not concerned as ‘countless groups have gone out to do that activity in similar conditions if not worse.’

He said the weather warning meant ‘everything should be okay but obviously, a bit of caution, and keep away from low lying areas.’

There was ‘no prior indication any such risk (of mudslides) might ever arise in the area,’ he said.

Mr Godwin said in a statement: ‘I have seen these conditions countless times so it was of no real concern.

‘It is my opinion on that particular day, on that particular activity, what happened to Leah could not be predicted and could not be avoided. There was no difference in conditions from identical times this activity has been carried out safely.’

Assistant coroner Paul Appleton said Leah was crossing the stream when the mudslide crashed into her, making her ‘submerged in thick mud’ and helpers were unable to release her from it at first.

After Leah was swept away, she died from traumatic asphyxiation after coming to rest face-down in thick mud. While she didn’t inhale any mud, her waterproof coat blocked her airways as it pressed against her nose and mouth.

The 10-year-old was taken to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead.

Leah dreamt of playing football for Lionesses

Leah’s mum said she loved football and her dream was to play for England in the future.

She said Leah was ‘a king, loving, caring, considerate girl’ with ‘the most gorgeous, infectious smile.’

The headteacher, who was on the trip, said she had gotten to know Leah well on the first day and was ‘really impressed with her resilience and her character.’

‘She was absolutely loving the time at Carlton, she really pushed herself out of her comfort zone,’ she said.

The inquest continues.

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