Scouts ordered to enhance security coaching after carbon monoxide loss of life of chief, 21, who use tenting range in his tent

The Scouts must improve their safety training after a scout leader was found dead when he used a camping stove in his tent, a coroner has warned.

Jack Saunders, 21, tragically died of carbon monoxide poisoning after using the stove inside his tent – a practice he’d seen at other camps but had received no training about the dangers of.

Coroner for Lancashire James Newman warned that the Scouts did not have clear instructions on the dangers of stoves in tents and said not all Scout troops had received safety guidance.

Mr Suanders had gone camping at a scout site to recreate a fond childhood memory of camping with the scouts and to help get his ‘night away’ permit to take children on overnight camping trips.

Mr Saunders’ autism and dyslexia meant that he had a visual learning style and ‘learnt from example’.

The jury at the inquest into his death were ‘unanimous as to him having no training and instruction regarding the dangers of carbon monoxide, resulting from the use of fuel burning appliances in tents’, the report said.

It added that evidence suggested Mr Saunders had ‘seen these practices being undertaken at previous camps’ and had a ‘lack of understanding to the dangers of that risk’.

Mr Saunders used a gas cooker and outdoor heater inside his tent, and was found deceased the day after he was supposed to have finished camping by a campsite worker.

Jack Saunders, 21, (pictured) was found dead at Waddecar Scout Activity Camp near Preston in April 2017

Mr Newman has now issued a prevention of future deaths report for The Scouting Association recommending that they provide more thorough guidance on the use of the equipment.

Mr Saunders joined the 8th Solihull Group when he was just eight years old, garnering many awards and accolades as he progressed from cub to scout.

These included Chief Scout’s Coral Award, but at around the age of 16 left as there was no available Explorer Scout Troup in the area.

He re-joined as an adult volunteer and was given an adult training booklet and a training assessor who would prepare a personal learning plan.

However there was no evidence that a personal learning plan had been prepared.

As a part of his training, Mr Saunders had to camp to get his ‘night away’ permit which would allow him to take children out for overnight camps.

He had chosen to camp at Waddecar Scout Camp, Preston, as he had a fond childhood memory of camping there with scouts that he wished to recreate.

In preparing to camp, he had borrowed a gas cooker and a Landman outdoor heater from the 8th Solihull Scout Group, with the knowledge of his training assessor, a scout leader.

There are instructions on the equipment that tell users not to use them in enclosed spaces but they were ‘small and could have been clearer’.

The inquest jury heard that due to Mr Saunder’s dyslexia and autism he had a very visual learning style, and because he had seen other scout leaders use the equipment within tents he likely assumed it would be safe for him to do so.

Mr Saunders, from Solihull, arrived at Waddecar Scout Camp on March 29 2017 and went to the supermarket for provisions.

He sent a text message shortly after 10pm but was not heard from after that. His body was found five days later, but the inquest jury concluded in January 2020 that Mr Saunders died within 24 hours of arrival at the camp.

A toxicology report identified a carboxyhaemoglobin level of 54 per cent, where the healthy level for a non-smoker being below 3 per cent, and the pathologist advanced a cause of death of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Mr Newman wrote: ‘Investigations found the two gas burning pieces of equipment inside the tent, turned off, but still connected to the gas bottles.

‘Extensive testing identified that whilst both pieces of equipment functioned appropriately, the Landman Outdoor heater generated a high level of carbon monoxide over a short period of time.

‘The expert investigation concluded, as heard by the inquest, that this was the source of the carbon monoxide that led to Jack’s death. This was accepted by the jury.’

The coroner summarised his concerns, writing: ‘The equipment that had been borrowed had no instructions available as to their use, and although there were illustrations/instructions on the equipment itself warning against use in enclosed spaces, these were small and could have been clearer.

‘On the finding of the jury, whilst knowledge around the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning was known and training had been prepared nationally, this had not reached the trainers within individual troops.

‘Jack, even if informed of the risks, had observed other adult leaders using gas fuelled equipment in tents, particularly mess tents, on previous camps, and due to his visual learning style, would have placed greater reliance on the same.’

The Scout Association has 56 days to respond to the coroner’s report.

A spokesmanfor the association told the Mail that the safety of its young people and adult volunteers ‘is our first concern’.

He added: ‘We have very recently received the Preventions of Future Death notice from His Majesty’s Coroner: our priority is to respond to him first, in a detailed, meaningful way.

‘When we respond to him, we will set out the range of measures we have taken over the past nine years to keep our volunteers and youth members safe from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. 

‘We have considerably updated our safety training, procedure and practice since this inquest took place six years ago.’