"Beautiful force of nature": Emotional tribute after toddler's death at Cornish campsite
An inquest heard Josie Gordon was accidentally hit by a moving caravan
An inquest has heard a toddler died at a campsite in Cornwall when she was accidentally hit by her grandparents’ moving caravan as she jumped around in puddles.
Josie Gordon, 20-months-old, was on the first day of a family holiday on the Lizard when she was killed by the caravan towed by her grandfather.
Police investigators believe Josie had either been stood close to the caravan when it began moving and was knocked down or had put herself on the floor and was run over.
The injuries to her head and chest were so severe she died almost instantaneously despite receiving prompt medical attention.
Cornwall Coroner’s Court heard Josie and her parents, Harry Gordon and Hannah Bingham, had set off from their home on the morning of May 12th this year in their VW campervan.
They were meeting family members, including Josie’s grandparents, Ian and Bethan Gordon, for a week-long break on The Lizard peninsula.
"I was trying to keep her warm and I kissed her hands"
In a written statement, Ms Bingham said the accident happened in a matter of seconds while Josie jumped around in the puddles in her wellies.
"I had a good view of everything and could see Josie was just playing in the puddles at the back of Ian and Bethan’s caravan – she was having the time of her life,” she said.
"It felt like the car and caravan had been moving for a couple of seconds when the caravan, moving, passed me and once it moved passed, I instantly saw Josie on the ground of the gravel track.
"It literally felt like seconds from seeing her in the puddle to then seeing her on the floor. I didn’t see what or how she came to be on the floor.
"All I saw was the car and caravan move forwards and suddenly she was on the floor. Harry shouted, ‘Josie’s on the floor’ and Ian instantly stopped the car.
"Harry scooped her up and I don’t think we realised how bad it was.
"I was just telling her that mummy’s here, and I was trying to keep her warm and I kissed her hands. I think I knew deep down she wasn’t okay, but I didn’t want to believe what I thought".
Miss Bingham added: "I don’t know what happened in the seconds between seeing her playing and seeing her on the ground.
"I wondered whether she crawled underneath the caravan to get something".
"I was in total disbelief"
Josie’s father said as the car pulled away the caravan "rocked" side to side as if it had run over something and then realised his daughter was on the floor.
When he was told Josie had died, he said: "I thought this wasn’t real. I was in total disbelief about what happened.”
In a statement, Josie’s grandfather said he had checked his wing mirrors before pulling away and did not see anything or feel any impact.
He said: "I was moving forward and only had been doing that for a few seconds when I heard Harry shout, ‘Josie’s been run over by the caravan’."
Mr Gordon said in a subsequent victim personal statement that the death of his only grandchild had left him with “painful remorse and constant grief”.
PC Scott Robinson, who investigated the accident, told the inquest that due to Josie’s height she was probably not seen by her grandfather.
"Josie has been knocked under the caravan and become injured when the caravan began to move over her", he said.
"It is also possible that Josie had no perception of danger at the time the caravan was stationary and has put herself under the caravan becoming injured when the caravan began to move.
"I am not able to say from the evidence which of these scenarios is most likely".
"By any description this is a tragic set of circumstances"
A post-mortem examination found she had suffered fatal head and chest injuries consistent with being run over by the wheel of the caravan.
Andrew Cox, senior coroner for Cornwall, recorded a conclusion Josie had died as a result of a road traffic collision.
"By any description this is a tragic set of circumstances and I cannot begin to imagine how difficult this has been for all the members of the family, particularly Josie’s parents", he said.
"It seems to me the two alternatives put forward by Pc Robinson are entirely sensible and I accept one of them is likely to be the cause for this incident.
"Tragically, Mr Gordon has not seen Josie and she hasn’t appreciated the danger of the situation and while playing innocently this tragedy has unfolded in a matter of a few seconds.
“I have only the deepest sympathy for all those involved in this incident".
Josie was a "beautiful force of nature"
In a statement issued after the inquest, Josie’s parents said: "Josie was a happy, vibrant, beautiful force of nature, whose life was tragically taken in the worst of circumstances.
"She will be eternally cherished by all of us and, in particular, her loving parents.
"The sunshine she brought to all our lives will last forever".