In March 2016, we reported on the tragic death of a 16 year old sixth former, Paddy Dear, who was found dead at the foot of a cliff near the remote Dale Fort Field Centre in Pembrokeshire. It was reported at the time that Paddy went to the toilet at around 5.30pm but did not return.
Although Paddy had no health concerns when he set off on the five day Geography field trip with Campion School, friends told police that in the lead up to his death, Paddy had been having trouble sleeping and had been feeling unwell, often falling asleep on the minibus transporting them to and from places. An inquest has now heard that the teenager had developed an infection which could have caused disorientation, confusion, unsteadiness and an inability to comprehend dangerous situations, leading to the fall which killed him. Paddy is believed to have had acute tonsillitis and group A streptococcal septicaemia, an invasive infection of the blood which causes a fever, rapid heartbeat and rapid breathing.
A search began at around 6pm when Paddy did not turn up for dinner, in which the rooms, grounds and jetty beach were searched. The police were then called at 7pm, with the coastguard and RNLI called later in the evening to assist with the search. His body was later found at 1am.
A villager in Dale recalled seeing Paddy by the seawall at around 6pm on the night of his death, looking “agitated”, “not in control” and “pacing up and down”. Head of the centre, Christine Millican, told the inquest that visiting students were “warned of the danger of the cliffs” around the fort and were told that they “were out of bounds”. She also told the inquest how the Field Studies Council, who runs Fale Fort, has strict policies and protocols for centre staff to follow when a student goes missing. Paddy’s parents asked Millican why nobody was assigned to watch and wait at the fort’s gates while the search was carried out. They stated that “had someone been put at the gate, it could have made a significant difference”.
Our deepest condolences remain with Paddy’s family and friends and all at Campion School.
