A coroner has ruled that the death of 12-year-old Brooke Wiggins, who was struck by a falling branch while playing on a rope swing in Banstead, Surrey, was an accident. The incident occurred on November 9, 2024, just days before her 13th birthday.
Brooke fell from a rope swing fastened to a large tree branch, which suddenly gave way and crushed her. Assistant coroner Ivor Collett concluded that Surrey County Council, responsible for maintaining the tree, had reasonable systems in place and could not have been expected to do more to prevent the tragedy.
The inquest heard that the tree was inspected in May 2022, with a recommendation to remove ivy for future inspections. A re-inspection scheduled for May 2024 did not take place due to prioritisation of other inspections. However, the coroner stated there was no evidence that a re-inspection would have revealed the crack or the rope swing.
Mr Collett dismissed suggestions that advisory notices warning against rope swings could have prevented the death, noting that it was doubtful children would heed such signs. He also declined to issue a Prevention of Future Deaths report, stating that sufficient systems were already in place.
Paying tribute to Brooke's family, the coroner said: 'Brooke was plainly a light that shone in their lives, and while that light shone far less than half as long as was its due, it clearly shone more than twice as brightly.'
