Inquest Into Woman's Death In Landslide
An inquest has resumed today (18/12/12) into the death of a woman who was crushed by 400 tonnes of rock during a trip to the beach in Dorset.
Charlotte Blackman from Derbyshire, was on holiday with her family and boyfriend when part of a 160ft-high cliff-face at Burton Bradstock collapsed and sent a mountain of rocks plummeting onto the sand below.
The 22-year-old's body was found under piles of rubble following a nine-hour search operation, on July 24.
She was spending a day at the beach with her parents, Rachel and Kevin, sister Sinead, brother Mitchell, and boyfriend Matt at the time of the tragedy, Miss Blackman was a volunteer with Derbyshire Autism Services Group, where she worked one-to-one with people with autism, including children.
Police urged visitors to stay away from parts of the Jurassic Coast, sections of which have been crashing into the sea for generations.
The tragedy came a fortnight after Somerset couple Rosemary Snell, 67, and Michael Rolfe, 72, were killed in a landslide at the Beaminster Tunnel, just nine miles away.
The inquest into Miss Blackman's death was opened and adjourned in Dorchester shortly after the incident.
Today's hearing, at Dorchester county hall, is expected to last one day.