14-year-old killed by fumes from a barbecue during family camping trip

By MATTHEW COOPER
Published on 17/01/2013 22:10

A 14-YEAR-OLD girl was killed by fumes from a barbecue placed inside a tent to keep her warm during a family camping trip, an inquest has heard.

Shropshire Coroner’s Court heard that Hannah Thomas-Jones succumbed to the “silent killer” of carbon-monoxide poisoning after gases from the barbecue collected in the area where she was sleeping.

Hannah, from Handforth, near Wilmslow, Cheshire, was pronounced dead in May last year after paramedics were called to a campsite in Bucknell, south Shropshire.

Three other family members, including Hannah’s mother and stepfather, were treated in hospital for the effects of carbon monoxide from the embers of the bucket-type barbecue.

The inquest in Wem, Shropshire, heard that family members took precautions to guard against an accidental fire when they moved the barbecue into the porch of the tent, but were unaware of the dangers of carbon monoxide.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Coroner John Ellery told members of Hannah’s family: “It’s quite clear that you and many, many people were unaware of the risk of carbon-monoxide poisoning. The risk you were addressing when you brought that barbecue in, in its dying embers, was against fire. But sadly what was happening was that carbon monoxide was coming from those embers.”

Mr Ellery offered his condolences to Hannah’s family, 
and expressed hopes that the 
inquest would serve the secondary function of raising awareness of the dangers posed by carbon monoxide.