Inquest into the Death of Daniel Jarvis COOK
Deceased
Daniel Jarvis COOK-HILL
Demographics
3y, male
Date of death
2008-10-12
Finding date
2014-06-11
Cause of death
smoke inhalation and burns
AI-generated summary
Daniel Cook-Hill, a 3-year-old boy in state care, died from smoke inhalation and burns when he and another child became trapped in a burning caravan at his grandmother's home on 12 October 2008. The child and a 2-year-old companion awoke unsupervised early in the morning and entered a caravan used for storage. A fire ignited, likely from a heat source such as matches or a lighter. The fire spread rapidly through combustible materials, and with the exit blocked by flames, both children retreated to the rear of the caravan. The coroner found the Department provided appropriate, loving care in a safe, culturally appropriate environment with regular monitoring. The tragic incident was a preventable accident unrelated to the child's care, with no systemic failures identified in child protection services.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- child entered caravan unsupervised before adults awoke
- caravan contained readily combustible materials
- fire ignited, possibly from child playing with matches or lighter
- exit blocked by fire forcing children to retreat
- rapid fire spread due to caravan contents
- fire intensity too great for adults to rescue children
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