Christopher Coll, 45, and Kayleigh Coll, 38, from Blandford Forum, Dorset, died from carbon monoxide poisoning after using a gas heater in their camper van at a cider festival, an inquest heard. They were found dead on October 12 last year while exhibiting at the cider craft festival in the New Forest.
Discovery by fellow exhibitor
The inquests, held separately at Winchester Coroner's Court on Wednesday, heard that the business owner and trainee accountant had travelled to the fair to sell crafts and stayed overnight in their van in a field for exhibitors. They were found dead by fellow exhibitor Alexander Huxley, who had met the pair the night before over drinks and music. He thought it odd they did not appear at their stall around 11:30 the next morning and went to check. When he opened the door, he was hit with a powerful smell of gas and discovered a gas heater with a canister attached. He saw the couple motionless in the back of the van and 'turned around in shock'.
Gas leak and heater misuse
An examination of the gas heater and cylinder after the deaths found it had been used with 10% of gas remaining, and the heater was not properly fitted to the gas bottle, causing a gas leak. Hampshire area coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said: 'We'll never know how the connection became disconnected.' Howard Jonas from Flogas, the firm that conducted the inspection, explained that parabolic heaters should only be operated outdoors or in well-ventilated areas.
Coroner's ruling
In outlining the case facts, the coroner stated: 'Overnight on the 11th they suffered carbon monoxide poisoning due to running a camper gas cylinder with a heater that was not designed for use in an inside environment.' She informed the families she could not rule their deaths accidental as it was a deliberate decision to switch the heating on 'with a totally unintended consequence'. Instead, she determined their deaths were misadventure.
The coroner expressed concerns about whether a safety warning appears on heaters to indicate they cannot be operated in enclosed spaces. Ms Rhodes-Kemp said: 'I will be contacting the manufacturers of the heater to see whether a warning is on the device itself, I think that may prevent a future death.' She added: 'All I can say is I am terribly sorry because it's an absolute tragedy for two young people to die like this.'
The coroner noted that the butane gas odour detected by Mr Huxley was largely irrelevant to their deaths, as odourless carbon monoxide poisoning was the cause of death.
Family tributes
Relatives who attended the hearings described Kayleigh Coll as the most kind person you could ever meet, and Christopher Coll as a very loving, good person who 'absolutely adored' his children and had goals to live off the land and be self-sufficient. The inquest into Ms Coll's death heard from her family that this was a singular instance the couple slept in the van, described as a 'one off' while they were attempting to establish their business.
