An inquest has ruled that Kyra Hill, the 11-year-old girl who drowned during a birthday party at Liquid Leisure water park near Windsor in the United Kingdom, in August 2022, was unlawfully killed due to gross breaches of health and safety regulations.
The verdict, delivered at Berkshire Coroner’s Court in Reading, follows damning revelations about inadequate safety protocols and a delayed emergency response at the water park, which has already resulted in an £80,000 ($108,352) fine for the park’s owner.
“A Beautiful, Beaming Beacon of Light”
Kyra, a strong swimmer from Croydon, south London, got into difficulty in a designated swimming area where depths reached 4.67 meters (15.3 feet). Despite being spotted struggling in the water at around 3:20 p.m., she was not found until nearly two hours later, at 5:10 p.m., by a diver operating in zero visibility conditions.
Her father, Leonard Hill, tearfully described Kyra as “a beautiful, beaming beacon of light” and “a true champion in the water.” He now plans to campaign for stricter safety regulations at recreational water parks.
Coroner’s Findings: False Reassurance and Fatal Delays
Senior Coroner Heidi Connor cited multiple systemic failures that contributed to Kyra’s death:
- Lack of an emergency plan or risk assessment
- No clear warnings about deep water; only signage for shallow areas
- Inadequate lifeguard training and protocols
- A 37-minute delay between Kyra being last seen and the alert to emergency services
- Life jackets not required for children over five or those deemed competent swimmers
Connor emphasized that if parents had been made aware of the depth and risks, and if supervision rules had been clearer, “it is unlikely that Kyra would have got into trouble.”
She concluded the poor visibility and lack of appropriate safety measures contributed directly to her death and that unlawful killing was the appropriate legal classification.
Eyewitnesses Describe “A Nightmare That Wouldn’t Stop”
Kelly Edwards, who was present with her daughter, described a chaotic scene where the music continued to blare even as the child was missing.
“It was like a nightmare that wouldn’t stop… I was screaming for Kyra, for people to do something,” she told the inquest.
A 17-year-old lifeguard reported diving in after Kyra but said she “couldn’t see anything” and received mixed responses from people nearby. Emergency services were eventually called at 3:57 p.m., but by then, precious time had been lost.
Liquid Leisure Responds
Stuart Marston, owner and director of Liquid Leisure, acknowledged the seriousness of the tragedy.
“I’m a parent myself… losing a child sends any parent into a panic,” he said, adding that he ordered the park’s gates closed that day fearing a possible abduction due to conflicting witness accounts.
Despite Marston’s statement, the inquest highlighted critical missteps in communication and procedure, all of which likely contributed to the preventable loss of life.
