An inquest into the death of Kyra Hill, who drowned at Liquid Leisure in 2022, has concluded she was unlawfully killed due to severe safety failings at the Berkshire-based waterpark. Her grieving parents have since spoken out, declaring that “she could’ve been saved” if proper procedures had been followed and timely action had been taken.

Kyra Hill, from Croydon, South London, was attending a friend’s birthday party when she disappeared beneath the water. Despite being spotted in distress, emergency services were not contacted until 37 minutes later, and she was recovered from the lake over an hour after the initial alarm was raised. A post-mortem examination confirmed that she died from drowning. Speaking to Sky News, Kyra’s parents expressed their profound grief and frustration. They emphasised that timely intervention and proper safety measures could have saved their daughters life. Kyra’s parents said, “She could have been saved and should have been saved.”

The inquest revealed several critical failures at Liquid Leisure, including inadequate signage warning of deep water, lack of mandatory buoyancy aids for children, and absence of an effective emergency response plan. The inquest also revealed that the water's poor visibility hindered rescue efforts, and a diver missed calls from staff during the emergency. Requests to clear the swimming area were denied, further delaying the search. These failures were deemed to have "caused or contributed more than minimally" to Kyra's death.

Kyra's father, Leonard Hill, described his daughter as a "beautiful, beaming beacon of light" and a "remarkably strong and exceptional swimmer." He expressed his grief and called for urgent safety reforms in water parks to prevent similar tragedies. The coroner's findings and the family's statements have intensified calls for stricter oversight and enforcement of safety standards in recreational water facilities across the UK.