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Kyra Hill's parents say regulations 'would save children's lives'

Kyra Hill's parents say regulations 'would save children's lives'

BBC News10-06-2025
The parents of an 11-year-old girl who drowned at an aqua park have called for tighter regulations so other families do not have to "bury their children".Kyra Hill got into difficulty in a designated swimming area at Liquid Leisure near Windsor, Berkshire, in August 2022.In May, an inquest concluded she was unlawfully killed following gross breaches in health and safety, including the lack of an emergency plan or an adequate risk assessment.Her parents, Heather Parker and Leonard Hill, said regulations such as the requirement for emergency plans and clear signage could prevent future unavoidable drownings at water parks.
"There's no way that this should be happening in 2025 in the UK - it shouldn't be happening to our children," said Mr Hill.
Kyra was attending a birthday party at the Berkshire aqua park on 6 August 2022 when she went missing.The inquest heard a 17-year-old lifeguard spotted her struggling and dived in after her, but she said visibility was "terrible" and she "couldn't see anything".Despite being told Kyra had got out, the lifeguard told colleagues and a manager quickly attended. Emergency services were called 37 minutes after Kyra was last seen.She was found at about 17:10 BST, more than an hour after she was last seen, and pronounced dead in hospital.
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