Coroner Issues Formal Warning to Scouts Over Safety Failings
A coroner has demanded urgent improvements to safety training within The Scout Association after a young scout leader tragically died from carbon monoxide poisoning while using camping equipment inside his tent.
Tragic Circumstances of Jack Saunders' Death
Jack Saunders, a 21-year-old volunteer from Solihull, was found deceased at Waddecar Scout Activity Camp near Preston in April 2017. The inquest revealed he had used a gas cooker and Landman outdoor heater inside his tent while camping alone to obtain his 'night away' permit, which would have allowed him to take children on overnight camping trips.
Coroner for Lancashire James Newman has now issued a prevention of future deaths report to The Scout Association, highlighting critical safety gaps. The jury at the inquest concluded unanimously that Mr Saunders had received no training or instruction regarding the dangers of carbon monoxide from fuel-burning appliances in tents.
Learning Style and Observed Practices Contributed to Tragedy
Mr Saunders, who had autism and dyslexia, had a visual learning style and 'learnt from example.' Evidence presented at the inquest suggested he had seen other scout leaders using similar equipment within tents at previous camps, particularly in mess tents, leading him to assume the practice was safe.
The coroner's report noted: 'Jack, even if informed of the risks, had observed other adult leaders using gas fuelled equipment in tents on previous camps, and due to his visual learning style, would have placed greater reliance on the same.'
Equipment Warnings Were Inadequate
Although the borrowed equipment had warnings against use in enclosed spaces, the coroner found these were 'small and could have been clearer.' There were no separate instruction manuals available with the equipment.
A toxicology report revealed Mr Saunders had a carboxyhaemoglobin level of 54 percent, where the healthy level for a non-smoker is below 3 percent. The pathologist confirmed carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death.
Systemic Training Failures Identified
The inquest heard that while national training materials about carbon monoxide risks existed, this information had not reached trainers within individual troops. Mr Saunders had been given an adult training booklet and assigned a training assessor when he re-joined as an adult volunteer, but there was no evidence a personal learning plan had been prepared for him.
Coroner Newman wrote: 'On the finding of the jury, whilst knowledge around the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning was known and training had been prepared nationally, this had not reached the trainers within individual troops.'
Scout Association Response and Timeline
The Scout Association has 56 days to respond formally to the coroner's report. A spokesman told media: 'We have very recently received the Preventions of Future Death notice from His Majesty’s Coroner: our priority is to respond to him first, in a detailed, meaningful way.'
The spokesman added that safety is their first concern and stated: 'We have considerably updated our safety training, procedure and practice since this inquest took place six years ago.'
Background of the Deceased Scout Leader
Mr Saunders had been involved with scouting since age eight, joining the 8th Solihull Group and progressing from cub to scout while earning numerous awards including the Chief Scout's Coral Award. He temporarily left around age sixteen when no Explorer Scout Troop was available in his area, before returning as an adult volunteer.
He had chosen Waddecar Scout Camp for his permit camping trip specifically to recreate a fond childhood memory of camping there with scouts. His body was discovered five days after his arrival, though the inquest concluded he died within 24 hours of reaching the campsite.
