By Caroline Schelle
A Melbourne schoolboy’s trip to Vietnam should have been a highlight of his high-school years, but instead, it led to the 16-year-old’s death.
Kilvington Grammar School student Lachlan Cook died at the Royal Children’s Hospital in October 2019 after becoming ill from severe diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication of diabetes, while on the trip.
Coroner Audrey Jamieson found “clear and cogent evidence that the failures and shortcomings of World Challenge Expeditions and Kilvington Grammar” contributed to Lachlan’s death.Credit: Penny Stephens
He was one of eight students from the school on the trip organised by World Challenge Expeditions in September 2019.
Five years after his death, the school and travel company were convicted and fined in the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday for breaching health and safety laws. They pleaded guilty in December.
County Court Judge Angela Ellis fined the school $140,000 and the travel company $150,000.
Cook’s health took a turn nearly two weeks into the trip, when he started vomiting the day the group headed to Hue from Hoi An by bus on September 26.
Lachlan Cook died of diabetes-related complications in 2019.Credit: Facebook
The teenager was asked about his blood glucose levels and told the travel company’s trip leader they were fine.
When he arrived at Hue, he continued to vomit, and later that afternoon complained to teachers about abdominal pain, sore ribs and thirst.
The trip leader called the World Challenge operations centre at the suggestion of one of the teachers, but failed to tell the operator that Cook had diabetes.
She also gave the 16-year-old Hydralyte, which is used to tackle dehydration.
The leader later sent the same operator a message: “I just want to check nothing of what I’m [sic] doing changes due to his diabetes 1 and his bloods are currently high, which we are trying to bring down.”
The operator replied that carbohydrates in Hydralyte could cause a diabetic’s blood glucose levels to spike, but the leader didn’t see the message until the next morning.
At this point, Cook’s condition had deteriorated, and he was soon unable to speak or stand.
One of the teachers rushed him to hospital in a taxi, and his family was notified. He was flown to Bangkok on September 28 and transferred to Melbourne after five days, where he died after his life support was switched off.
“Lachlan’s mother describes the dreadful ordeal that no parent should have to experience, of travelling to Thailand and spending five days in hospital with her unconscious child, then flying home with her very unwell and unconscious son to the Royal Children’s Hospital, whereupon it was confirmed that his condition was not survivable,” Ellis said.
The judge noted in her sentence the World Challenge trip leader wasn’t trained in diabetes management and didn’t disclose his condition when she reported his symptoms.
The teachers also lacked the appropriate training, and his diabetes management plan was not taken on the trip, she said.
His risk of dying would have been substantially reduced if there had been more training and information sharing, she said.
Kilvington Grammar principal Rob French said the school accepted the penalty and its responsibility for its role in the “devastating and unimaginable outcome”.
Kilvington Grammar Principal Rob French leaving the County Court in December.Credit: Joe Armao
“Nothing can alter the fact, however, that Lachie passed away in tragic circumstances,” he said in a statement.
“I offer my deepest apologies to Lachie’s family and friends for their devastating loss. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them today, and always.”
The principal said the school would continue to honour the memory of the teenager. In the years after his death, the school raised money for juvenile diabetes and put a plaque in Cook’s honour at the school’s new gym.
“He lived with courage and determination in the face of adversity, displayed genuine leadership qualities, was warm-spirited, inclusive of others and a greatly respected member of the school community.”
World Challenge boss Peter Fletcher after the plea hearing in December.Credit: Joe Armao
The school also updated its procedures and protocols relating to diabetes and pre-existing health conditions for students on school trips.
World Challenge managing director Peter Fletcher said the company kept the boy’s family and friends in their thoughts.
“Our thoughts have been with Lachlan Cook’s family since this tragic accident in 2019, and we’ll continue to think of his family through these times,” Fletcher said outside court on Wednesday.
He said the company had implemented changes after Cook’s death, including updating its policies to ensure more detailed information is available for trip leaders on diabetes and pre-existing health conditions.
Cook’s sister and father tuned into the hearing remotely, but did not make a statement as they wished to honour his memory privately.
A coroner found the teenager’s death was preventable after an inquest in 2022, and pinned failures on the school and trip organisers as contributing factors in his death.
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correction
An earlier version of this story mistakenly referred to World Challenge managing director as Paul Fletcher. His name is Peter Fletcher.