“Failures and shortcomings” on the part of the school and trip organizer contributed to the needless death of a diabetic adolescent from Melbourne who was on an international school trip, according to a coroner’s ruling.
Lachlan Cook, a sixteen-year-old student on an international adventure trip organized by World Challenge, passed away in 2019 following an emergency return flight to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
According to Coroner Audrey Jamieson, the school assumed all would be well and had a “laissez-faire” attitude toward its responsibilities for the pupils on the trip.
World Challenge has received a slew of recommendations from the coroner to strengthen their policies and information systems, better assist students with medical conditions, and train their staff to deal with such cases. The coroner found that Kilvington Grammar School and World Challenge did not adequately ensure that their staff had the necessary training to care for the children while they were abroad.
The World Challenge expedition leader initially diagnosed Mr. Cook with gastroenteritis after he had been in Vietnam for approximately two weeks.
The prominent private school in Melbourne pled guilty to a criminal offense.
The student had diabetes.
In September 2019, sixteen-year-old Lachlan Cook started experiencing nausea, vomiting, and abdominal aches while on a school vacation.
He was airlifted back to his hometown after a severe decline in his condition necessitated a trip to the emergency room.
At the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Lachlan passed away without ever regaining consciousness.
He died of avoidable acute diabetic ketoacidosis, a consequence of type 1 diabetes.
On Thursday, the issue was brought back before the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court. Eliza Holt, the school’s lawyer, said that the matter had been addressed and that Kilvington Grammar would be entering a guilty plea.
Rob French, principal of Kilvington Grammar School, announced the school’s guilty plea to a violation of the Occupational Health and Safety Act in a statement.
The presentence hearing for Kilvington Grammar School is scheduled on December 11 at the County Court.
The tour operator, World Challenge Expeditions Pty Ltd, is facing three comparable charges.
They will be back in court on September 20 after requesting more time to evaluate the case.
