The parents of a boy who tragically lost his life in an incident at an indoor ski slope expressed their devastation after being denied the opportunity for an official inquiry into his passing.
Natalie and Chris Watkiss shared their deep sorrow outside the South Staffordshire Coroner’s Court in Stafford following the decision by coroner Fiona Gingell to forego a formal inquest into the death of their son, Louis. The 12-year-old met his untimely demise when a SnowDome staff member named Joseph Dibb unexpectedly entered the slope on the evening of September 24, 2021, during a tobogganing session.
Louis, who was attending a friend’s birthday celebration, was tobogganing down the slope when Mr. Dibb, the manager on duty that night, ventured out to address a block of ice without proper visibility gear. Facing away from approaching toboggan riders, Mr. Dibb inadvertently walked into Louis’ path, resulting in a collision that led to a fatal head injury deemed by a pathologist as unsurvivable. Natalie and Chris have been advocating for justice for their son.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive earlier this year concluded with the SnowDome accepting liability for Louis’ death and receiving a £100,000 penalty. The family had hoped that a formal inquest would be held in a public setting to draw lessons from the tragedy.
Coroner Gingell explained that no further statutory investigations were necessary. The primary purpose of an inquest is to determine the identity of the deceased, the time and place of death, and the manner in which the death occurred. Following the hearing, Natalie and Chris expressed feeling emotionally shattered by the subsequent legal process and their pursuit of an inquest.
Natalie conveyed to BirminghamLive: “We are still in shock and we haven’t had chance to grieve because the whole system has taken that away from us. We haven’t been able to remember Louis for who he was because we just remember him in the system. So, we’re exhausted. We’re tired.”
She continued, “We just need to need to rest now and spend time with our other beautiful son who has lost his parents for the last four years really. And actually had said to me ‘mummy, please when is this going to stop? I’m here and I need you.'”
Louis’ father, Chris, added, “Every minute, every hour, every day is just pure pain. That’s sometimes put on hold, but now we are terrified of what’s going to follow. Because with nothing left to fight for at the minute, it’s going to hit us hard. Harder than it ever has done before I believe.”
The SnowDome was fined £100,000 by District Judge Kevin Grego and was also instructed to pay an additional £16,000 in costs. The family criticized the fine as “ridiculous” and described it as a mere “slap on the wrists.”