Inquest into the Death of Danielle Kiesha LANE
Deceased
Danielle Kiesha Lane
Demographics
8y, female
Date of death
2012-01-04
Finding date
2015-04-17
Cause of death
heat stroke and dehydration
AI-generated summary
An 8-year-old girl from Tjirrkarli, a remote Aboriginal community in Western Australia, died from heat stroke and dehydration after becoming stranded in the desert. On 31 December 2011, she and an adult companion became lost in bushland while hunting, with their vehicle breaking down after becoming bogged. They were unprepared, carrying only minimal water and food, and attempted to walk out over several days in extreme heat (44-45°C) without adequate supplies. Police located them on 3 January 2012, but the child was unresponsive and died soon after. The coroner found the death was by misadventure. Although the Department of Child Protection had acknowledged failings in their assessment of her welfare, these were not causatively linked to her death. The coroner recommended public education campaigns and training in remote communities about survival strategies when stranded.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- insufficient water and food supplies
- extreme heat (44-45°C)
- vehicle breakdown
- poor bush skills of companion
- failure to inform others of intended destination
Coroner's recommendations
- Western Australian Police devise a public notice based on survival guidance and ensure copies are placed on public notice boards throughout Western Australia in locations where people might become stranded in remote areas
- Western Australian Police officers who service remote communities liaise with community leaders to arrange training of community members about survival when lost or stranded
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