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| Drowned schoolgirl's group left alone while teachers went for breakfast, inquest hears Charlotte Shaw inquiry hears teachers left Ten Tors challenge students unsupervised despite deteriorating weather conditionsA public schoolgirl who drowned in a Dartmoor stream while training for an endurance event had been left unsupervised while the teachers in charge went for breakfast in a cafe, an inquest heard today.Charlotte Shaw, 14, was swept down a swollen stream as she prepared for the annual army-organised Ten Tors challenge.The inquest at Exeter heard how teachers had kept the eight-strong team in sight throughout the first day of the overnight trek but left them unsupervised on the second, despite worsening conditions.Three teachers left the children to escort an injured girl off the moor and then went for breakfast before returning to try to meet up with the party again.In the meantime, weather conditions deteriorated so quickly that two other teachers who were supposed to meet up with the students got lost and left the moor.Fellow students from Edgehill College in Bideford, north Devon, told the hearing how several were in tears when the teachers left them but were told they must go on by the expedition manager, Chris Fuller.Fuller's wife, Alice, told the inquest the students were in good spirits and keen to carry on and none asked to come off the moor.Mrs Fuller, also a teacher though not at Edgehill, said she went on the trip to provide an additional adult helper and had camped overnight with the children, Chris Fuller – then her boyfriend – and another teacher.The next morning they decided one of the girls was so tired she had to go home. The three walked for 90 minutes to Mr Fuller's car and they all drove to a town to meet the girl's parents.Mrs Fuller said: "We then went for breakfast at a cafe in Princetown. I don't know if it was planned. We had breakfast because we were there and there was a good phone signal."I don't know how long we were there but I don't think it was for as long as an hour and a half. At the time the rain was heavy and continuous."We were not worried about the children. I'm sure we were thinking about how they were doing but they had shown on the Saturday they were good navigators and shown on that Sunday they could do it in rough weather."They were a very capable group, so worried would be the wrong word. We were not even concerned. They were doing very well."When we had left them, no one said they'd had enough or wanted to come off. I can't remember anyone crying."She said the teachers then set off to try to meet the party but met a group of walkers who told them their proposed route was almost impassable because of a flooded ford.Mrs Fuller added: "We came across a police Land Rover and they asked if we were from the party from Edgehill College and informed us a girl had fallen in a river."The inquest continues. Mr Fuller is due to give evidence next.School tripsSteven Morrisguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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