Parents take Huntingtower School to Supreme Court over son’s camp death
The parents of a Melbourne boy who died of heat illness during an outback school camp is suing his private school for negligence, claiming his death was “entirely avoidable”.
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The parents of a Melbourne boy who died of heat illness during an outback school camp is suing his private school for negligence, claiming his death was “entirely avoidable”.
Huntingtower School student Alexander Li, 16, died during a Year 11 camp on a remote sheep and cattle station in South Australia in 2016.
Deputy State Coroner Iain Treloar found Alexander died of a heat-related illness while also suffering from an enterovirus infection, which can impact the respiratory tract.
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On the day Alexander died, the group was expected to walk 14km as temperatures reached 40C by the afternoon, with boys carrying 17kg packs and girls carrying 14kg packs.
Alexander’s father Yi Nei Li and mother Xiao-Jing Wei having filed a writ in the Supreme Court, citing negligence by the Huntingtower School that had caused them to suffer injury, loss and damages.
It stated both Alexander’s parents suffered anxiety and a chronic major depressive disorder after the loss of their son, requiring ongoing treatment and medications, while his father was no longer able to work full time at Monash University’s IT Engineering faculty.
They are claiming damages, compensation, interest and costs.
The week-long camp was intended to expose students to a remote environment where they carry their own shelter, food, water and clothing.
In a his report last year, the Coroner found the camp had “a very real threat to the health and safety of all individuals involved with potentially catastrophic consequences as in Alexander’s case” due to its remoteness, lack of medical facilities and variable temperatures, which were not monitored by staff.
The Coroner found that while Alexander’s enterovirus infection “may have accounted in part for his fatigue and generalised pain, there is little doubt these problems were exacerbated by the environmental and exertional factors”.
Alexander was among 78 students and 29 staff on the week-long camp from February 21 in 2016.
The Mount Waverley private school has been running the camp for almost four decades, which was intended to build confidence and teamwork.
On the second day of the camp, students noted Alexander appeared increasingly fatigued, the Coroner’s report released in February 2018 showed.
They had been walking for up to five hours with two short breaks when they prepared to stop for lunch just after midday, with temperatures exceeding 35C.
One student noted in the Coroner’s report that at this time, Alexander was “hugging his water bottle for dear life”.
“He was pretty fatigued at this point and had a headache,” she said. “Alex appeared to be fed up with walking.
“He was lying down and seemed as though he was having a bit of difficulty breathing. His breathing was shallow but it looked like he wanted to breath deeper.”
At lunch, Alexander expressed that he was hot and couldn’t eat, the report read.
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A staff member gave him a tortilla wrap and encouraged him to eat, noting he had eaten an apple.
The Coroner’s report stated that as temperatures exceeded 36C, the group started walking again with Alexander at the front of the pack to set the pace.
Soon after, on reaching the top of a hill, the 16-year-old sat under a rock formation and began to hyperventilate.
Two students helped calm him down and his breathing slowed — one student carried his water pack as they continued walking down a gully.
After a further 90 minutes of walking with one short break, the group stopped again as the mercury reached more than 39C at 2.30pm.
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The students had been hiking in full exposure to the sun.
Alexander appeared tired and confused, the report stated. He had drunk his full water pack but continued to drink more water, with his pulse high, breathing slow and skin hot and clammy to the touch.
A staff member gave him gastrolyte and put a wet scarf around his neck.
Alexander twice attempted to stand but fell, was agitated, yelled incoherent remarks and became delusional.
When a support vehicle was requested 17 minutes after this final break was called, Alexander was slumped over, shaking and had become less responsive.
The support car arrived within 10 minutes and a barely conscious Alexander was lifted into the back seat with the airconditioner on full.
Paramedics met the vehicle 15km from Plumbago station where they began treating Alexander by 4.43pm but he went into cardiac arrest with no signs of life shortly after 6pm.
Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Dimi Ioannou, representing Mr Li and Ms Wei, said Alexander’s death was “entirely avoidable”.
“Alexander’s parents trusted their much-loved son to the school and expected them to take care of him,” she said.
“Instead he was made to march through intense heat carrying an extremely heavy backpack.
“Children should never be required to perform such a strenuous activity in such hostile conditions.
“These children should never have been forced to hike in these temperatures.
“Alexander’s parents remain devastated by their son’s death.”
Among the particulars of negligence, Mr Li and Ms Wei state the school failed to limit physical activity during the hottest part of the day, failed to check the temperature and weather conditions in order to apply the Risk Management Plan and failed to consider Alexander’s health and fitness while carrying loaded packs in 35C.
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Following the Coroner’s finding, Huntingtower School principal Sholto Bowen confirmed the school would no longer conduct camps at Plumbago during peak summer conditions, and only run the camp during lower or milder heat.
Students preparation booklets were also to be updated with information about heat-related illness, and families would be advised of the risks before signing consent forms.
Physical activities would be limited to 60 minutes only during temperatures of 31C to 35C and humidity above 50 per cent, or postponed if temperatures exceed 35C and 30 per cent humidity.
In a statement, Mr Bowen said the school’s “heartfelt thoughts remain with Alexander’s family and friends”.
“The entire school community was devastated by Alexander’s death,” he said.
“We have been in regular contact with Alex’s family over the last two years to offer
whatever support we can.
“The welfare of our students and staff was and always will be paramount.
“As the matter is now before the Court we are unable to provide further comment.”
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