Sheffield girls weren't warned of waterfall risks

19 March 2019, 17:06 | Updated: 19 March 2019, 17:11

A coroner's ruled two sisters from Sheffield, who fell to their deaths in a Vietnam waterfall, were not properly warned of the risks.

Izzy Squire who was 19 and 24 year old Beth Anderson both died along with their friend Christian Sloan, also 24, on a guided trip to the Datanla waterfalls in February 2016. The coroner heard how the trio wore life jackets and helmets as they slid down a natural water slide head first and ended up in a six foot deep pool.

Instead of exiting the pool, they disappeared over the next tier of the river and died after falling over a 50 foot high waterfall. Their guide, Dang Van Si, claimed he warned them about getting out of the pool safely but this was contradicted by a number of witnesses.

The coroner did not accept Mr Van Si's account and ruled that he had either not given a warning at all or not ensured it was properly understood.

Coroner Chris Dorries said:

"I am clear on the balance of probabilities of the fact that this compromised the safety of the group. They had chosen the tour with care and with a conservative view as to risk. They were not adequately warned of the risks to be found at the bottom of the slide.

"I was disturbed to hear from the families that, in the period following the deaths, the uninformed chose to make a number of allegations that the trio acted unwisely. That may not be a sufficiently forceful word.

"Let me be clear from the outset, there is no evidence at all that such was the case."

Izzy and Beth's father, David Squire, said outside court:

"Part of our hearts and souls and our very being died with Beth and Izzy on that inexplicably awful February Friday. They will be forever just 19 and 24 and forever young."