A married couple died from carbon monoxide poisoning at a cider festival after using a gas heater not suitable for enclosed spaces in their campervan, an inquest heard.
Christopher and Kayleigh Coll, who had four children, were found dead in their campervan at the New Forest Cider Festival last October. They had switched on the heater before sleeping due to chilly temperatures.
The heater was not designed for use in enclosed spaces and was also found to be not securely attached to its gas cylinder. The person who discovered the bodies reported being "hit with a wall of gas" and hearing a "hissing noise" upon opening the campervan door.
The couple, from Blandford Forum, Dorset, were working as stall traders at the festival, selling small copper wire trees. Another seller found them on the morning of October 12 when they did not arrive to set up their stall.
Area Coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp ruled their deaths were a result of misadventure. Toxicology reports confirmed carbon monoxide poisoning as the cause of death, with no third-party involvement.
An expert gas witness stated the heater was not properly fitted to the cylinder, which could be caused by a small knock. The heater has no safety sensor to switch itself off and is intended for outdoor or well-ventilated areas only. The gas cylinder was also found to be nearly empty.
Mrs. Coll's mother noted that the couple only used the campervan for this occasion, as they would normally camp with their children in a tent. She suggested they bought the van for future family trips and that its use as a campervan was not its intended purpose, implying a lack of ventilation.
The coroner expressed sympathy for the family and suggested that the heater manufacturers should consider adding a warning label regarding its unsuitability for indoor use to prevent future deaths. The coroner described the incident as a "deliberate act to turn the heater on with a totally unintended consequence."