An inquest has concluded that better supervision would have prevented the death of a young special needs kid who ate a nectarine stone while at school.
Lucas Latouche Mazzei, 5, passed away in March 2017 at Adelaide’s Henley Beach Primary School after choking on a stone.
He was viewing a cartoon at the time, even while a teacher briefly left the room and a support staff member had a limited view of the space.
Lucas was left unattended for an unreasonable amount of time, according to Deputy State Coroner Ian White, despite the fact that it was well known that he had a propensity to overeat and stuff his mouth.
White claimed it gave him freedom to take the nectarine without being watched or overseen.
He concluded that the boy’s death would have been avoided if staff members had remained in the classroom the entire time he was viewing the cartoon.
Lucas’s death was deemed “heartbreaking and tragic” by the coroner, and the harrowing attempt to save his life left a lasting impression on everyone involved.
According to White, “Lucas’ parents had been overcome by grief at the passing of their beloved young son that day.
The inquiry was informed at the beginning of last year that when staff discovered Lucas was choking, they stood him up and began thrashing his back to try to free his airway.
He was starting to turn blue around his lips and cheeks by this point.
Staff members also attempted to turn him upside down by holding him up by his legs and slapping him on the back.
Although a defibrillator was brought in, it could not be utilised because CPR wasn’t started until paramedics arrived.
First assistance looked to be hindered by communication issues, particularly poor mobile phone reception, according to Emma Roper’s legal counsel.
The investigation was also informed that first aid certification was not currently necessary for teachers working in public schools.
White concluded that the efforts to save the boy were reasonable in light of the circumstances.
However, he suggested that all teaching personnel be mandated to hold current certifications in first aid assistance in an educational and care context.
Additionally, he demanded that the education department reassess its procedures for gathering data on kids with special needs and the first-aid instructions for handling a choking emergency.
Lucas’ mother Daniela Mazzei said Friday outside the court that the search for information regarding her son’s death had been “extremely hurtful, even cruel.”
Even after we pleaded, the education department did not give Lucas’ death the attention it deserved, Mazzei told reporters.
“Our sorrow will never leave us. His demise might have been avoided.
Succinic cemialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency, a rare genetic condition that only affects 350 people worldwide, was identified in the boy.
