The death of a two-year-old girl who drowned in her family's garden pond on Christmas Day after going missing for "a matter of minutes" has been ruled accidental. Isobel Abigail Maxwell had been celebrating with her extended family at her parents' home in Doncaster when she wandered into the garden and fell into the pond.
An inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court was told that nobody witnessed her venture outside, and it remained unclear which of the three sets of doors Isobel had used to exit the property. Coroner Louise Slater noted that at some point during the day the family's dogs were allowed into the garden, and "it would appear a door was mistakenly left open".
Family's 'forever home' plans
The inquest established that Isobel and her parents, Aaron Maxwell and Tamara Wallace, had moved into the property nine months prior, with the intention of it becoming their "forever home" as they expanded their family. Mr Maxwell and Ms Wallace had been planning to have the pond filled in over the summer and had erected a temporary fence around it, however this did not fully encircle the pond, the coroner was informed.
In a statement read aloud to the inquest, Ms Wallace described Isobel as a healthy child, affectionately nicknamed "busy Izzie" as she was "always on the move – our little adventurer". She revealed that 14 people were present at the house on Christmas Day, with the family finishing their dinner at approximately 2.30pm.
Search and discovery
Isobel had been moving between rooms, unwrapping presents and joining in with games. Ms Wallace recounted how Isobel knocked over a wax melt burner in the hallway at one point, and after clearing up the mess, she went to look for her daughter "to tell her it was OK and to be careful". When she was unable to locate her daughter inside the house, she headed into the garden, with Mr Maxwell following close behind.
She described the moments as they searched, saying: "I heard Aaron scream and saw him holding Isobel in his arms. I dropped to my knees. I've no idea which door Isobel managed to get out of. No-one saw Isobel leave. It was a matter of five minutes she was missing."
Ms Wallace, who was expecting her second child at the time, began performing CPR until ambulance staff arrived and took over just before 5pm. She further stated: "Isobel had never shown any interest in the pond before, whenever we were in the garden someone was with her. I just can't believe this has happened."
Attempts to revive
Mr Maxwell's statement described how he used his phone as a torch owing to the darkness at the bottom of the garden. He recalled spotting Isobel's dress before leaping into the pond to retrieve her. Mr Maxwell said: "I can't remember if she was facing up or down, everything was a blur. I was in a state of shock." He described leaving the property to search for a defibrillator when he noticed the paramedics arriving. "I followed the paramedics into the house. I felt so helpless, I didn't know what to do," Mr Maxwell said.
Attempts to revive Isobel proved futile, and she was pronounced dead at Doncaster Royal Infirmary at 5.55pm. Detective Constable Danielle Duncan-Blakely, of South Yorkshire Police, confirmed that enquiries revealed no suspicious circumstances surrounding the tragedy, telling the hearing: "It's sad, they have to carry on their lives knowing they've lost their little girl on that day. They've had another baby, I just hope they can bring some joy from that."
Ms Slater noted that Isobel's parents had opted not to be present at the inquest "due to the distressing circumstances". Delivering a conclusion of accidental death, she stated: "I would like to wish my most heartfelt condolences for (the family's) loss, in these most tragic of circumstances."
