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| Dorset landslide: woman's death could not have been foreseen, coroner rules | Dorset landslide: woman's death could not have been foreseen, coroner rules |
| (17 days later) | |
| A family walk along a beach on one of the warmest days of the summer ended in tragedy when a section of cliff crumbled and 400 tonnes of rocks crushed a young woman, an inquest heard. | A family walk along a beach on one of the warmest days of the summer ended in tragedy when a section of cliff crumbled and 400 tonnes of rocks crushed a young woman, an inquest heard. |
| Charlotte Blackman, 22, was strolling along the Dorset beach with her father, boyfriend and younger brother when part of the cliff began to shear off and boulders "the size of a haystack" plummeted on to the beach. | Charlotte Blackman, 22, was strolling along the Dorset beach with her father, boyfriend and younger brother when part of the cliff began to shear off and boulders "the size of a haystack" plummeted on to the beach. |
| Her father, Kevin Blackman, saw what was happening and shouted a warning. Ms Blackman's boyfriend, Matthew Carnell, grabbed her 12-year-old brother, Mitchell, and ran into the sea with him. He turned back to find Ms Blackman but she had been buried under tonnes of rock and her body was only found by emergency services nine hours later. | Her father, Kevin Blackman, saw what was happening and shouted a warning. Ms Blackman's boyfriend, Matthew Carnell, grabbed her 12-year-old brother, Mitchell, and ran into the sea with him. He turned back to find Ms Blackman but she had been buried under tonnes of rock and her body was only found by emergency services nine hours later. |
| The party, from Derbyshire, had been staying at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park in Burton Bradstock, near Bridport. On 24 July they spent the morning walking on the beach, sunbathing and playing in rock pools. They were heading home for lunch when the rockfall happened. | The party, from Derbyshire, had been staying at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park in Burton Bradstock, near Bridport. On 24 July they spent the morning walking on the beach, sunbathing and playing in rock pools. They were heading home for lunch when the rockfall happened. |
| Carnell described how his eye was caught by two small stones tumbling down the cliff. "Almost immediately, I looked up and saw half the cliff face fall. It happened so fast; it was the blink of an eye," he said. | Carnell described how his eye was caught by two small stones tumbling down the cliff. "Almost immediately, I looked up and saw half the cliff face fall. It happened so fast; it was the blink of an eye," he said. |
| "I grabbed Mitchell and ran a few metres into the sea. With that, a large dust cloud appeared and it was impossible to see for 20 seconds." | "I grabbed Mitchell and ran a few metres into the sea. With that, a large dust cloud appeared and it was impossible to see for 20 seconds." |
| When the dust cleared, boulders the size of haystacks lay on the beach. "I couldn't see Charlotte at all. It was complete chaos. I was in a panic and all I could think about was to get Charlotte out of there. I didn't want to stop until I found her. I was 10ft away from Charlotte at the time [of the landslide]. | When the dust cleared, boulders the size of haystacks lay on the beach. "I couldn't see Charlotte at all. It was complete chaos. I was in a panic and all I could think about was to get Charlotte out of there. I didn't want to stop until I found her. I was 10ft away from Charlotte at the time [of the landslide]. |
| "I remember seeing two little stones, no bigger than a 10p piece. Then the whole lot came down." | "I remember seeing two little stones, no bigger than a 10p piece. Then the whole lot came down." |
| Carnell and Mr Blackman tried to heave the boulders away to get to Ms Blackman. Mr Blackman, who was injured, told onlookers concerned for his safety that if he was going to "go", it would be with his daughter. | Carnell and Mr Blackman tried to heave the boulders away to get to Ms Blackman. Mr Blackman, who was injured, told onlookers concerned for his safety that if he was going to "go", it would be with his daughter. |
| A canoeist, David Warren, said he had yelled at Ms Blackman's family to avoid the cliff face after witnessing three landslides further along the coastline in the moments before the tragedy. But the inquest was told that Ms Blackman's party must have been too far away to hear his warning. | A canoeist, David Warren, said he had yelled at Ms Blackman's family to avoid the cliff face after witnessing three landslides further along the coastline in the moments before the tragedy. But the inquest was told that Ms Blackman's party must have been too far away to hear his warning. |
| Leonard Muggeridge, a fisherman, said the sound of the cliff collapsing was like gunfire. He added: "When the dust settled, I saw two to three skip-loads of rock had deposited at the base of the cliff." | Leonard Muggeridge, a fisherman, said the sound of the cliff collapsing was like gunfire. He added: "When the dust settled, I saw two to three skip-loads of rock had deposited at the base of the cliff." |
| The section of beach where the tragedy happened, which is owned by the National Trust, remains closed. | The section of beach where the tragedy happened, which is owned by the National Trust, remains closed. |
| Richard Edmonds, earth science manager at Dorset county council, said the sea had cut away the base of the sandstone and clay cliffs several years earlier, meaning a large section of the cliff was left over-hanging. | Richard Edmonds, earth science manager at Dorset county council, said the sea had cut away the base of the sandstone and clay cliffs several years earlier, meaning a large section of the cliff was left over-hanging. |
| He said: "There is always a risk when walking underneath a cliff face … but there have been no other injuries there in the last 25 years." | He said: "There is always a risk when walking underneath a cliff face … but there have been no other injuries there in the last 25 years." |
| Helen Mann, the National Trust's West Dorset property manager, said: "We try to keep these places as safe as we can. We can't close them all." | Helen Mann, the National Trust's West Dorset property manager, said: "We try to keep these places as safe as we can. We can't close them all." |
| The coroner, Sheriff Payne, told the hearing in Dorchester that Ms Blackman's death could not have been predicted. | The coroner, Sheriff Payne, told the hearing in Dorchester that Ms Blackman's death could not have been predicted. |
| He said the National Trust appeared to be doing all it could to warn visitors of the dangers presented by the 30-metre-high cliffs. | He said the National Trust appeared to be doing all it could to warn visitors of the dangers presented by the 30-metre-high cliffs. |
| The coroner said there was insufficient evidence to say whether the weather had played a part in the landslide after hearing concerns that weeks of heavy rain may have triggered the fall. | The coroner said there was insufficient evidence to say whether the weather had played a part in the landslide after hearing concerns that weeks of heavy rain may have triggered the fall. |
| He said: "Sadly, Charlotte Blackman died as a result of an accident. It was a sudden act of nature that nobody could have predicted." | He said: "Sadly, Charlotte Blackman died as a result of an accident. It was a sudden act of nature that nobody could have predicted." |
| A postmortem concluded that she had suffered multiple injuries and would have died instantly. | A postmortem concluded that she had suffered multiple injuries and would have died instantly. |
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