Christopher and Kayleigh Coll, a married couple with four children, died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a cider festival in the New Forest after using a gas heater not designed for indoor use. An inquest on Wednesday heard the couple, who were working as stall traders, turned on the heater in their campervan due to chilly October temperatures before going to sleep.
The heater was not properly secured to its gas cylinder, and the inquest found the deaths were a result of misadventure. A fellow seller discovered the couple, aged 45 and 38, when they failed to appear for work the following morning. Upon opening the campervan door, the seller reported being "hit with a wall of gas" and hearing a "hissing noise."
Toxicology reports confirmed carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death. The heater, identified as a Parabolic heater, is not designed for enclosed spaces and lacks an auto-shutoff sensor. Experts testified that the gas cylinder also appeared to be low on fuel.
Area Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp stated that the heater should carry a warning label indicating it is unsuitable for indoor use to prevent future tragedies. She expressed her condolences to the family, calling the incident an "absolute tragedy."