An 11-year-old boy was engulfed in flames when a spark from a cigarette or a lighter set off petrol fumes inside a tent where he was "messing" with two friends, Dublin City Coroner's Court heard yesterday.
The jury of four women and two men returned a verdict of accidental death and recommended that petrol should not be sold to anyone under the legal age for driving and then only in proper containers. They also recommended that all play equipment, such as tents, should be made of fire-retardant material.
Gerard Meehan, of Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, died of respiratory complications arising from third-degree burns to 70 per cent of his body at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children on December 20th, 1997, four days after suffering the burns at Cooley Road.
The inquest heard how Gerard was sniffing petrol and smoking cigarettes in a tent at the rear of a friend's house.
Stephen Cloak (15) said he and a younger boy, Patrick Maxwell, bought 50p worth of petrol from a local filling station and carried it home in a two-litre milk carton.
On the way they met Gerard Meehan and the three went to a tent at the rear of his [Stephen Cloak's] house. They were sniffing the petrol and smoking cigarettes and a pipe.
Some petrol spilled on to Gerard Meehan. "A spark from a lighter or a cigarette set off the petrol and Gerard was covered in flames. Patrick's legs were on fire," Stephen Cloak said in his deposition.
They struggled to get out of the tent, and Stephen Cloak threw water and a wet piece of carpet over Gerard Meehan and put out the flames.
Patrick Maxwell gave a similar account of the incident.
Mr Brian Cosgrave, a fireman, said Gerard Meehan was conscious when firemen arrived at the scene. The tent was burned out. On the way to Crumlin Hospital, Gerard Meehan was treated and given oxygen.
Sgt Charles McCabe, of Sundrive Road station, said the sniffing of petrol was a problem and he had spoken to the person who sold the petrol.
At this point of the inquest, Mr and Mrs Meehan interjected to say the filling station staff had been warned three months before their son's death about selling petrol to youths. On that occasion, their son was found "stoned" on fumes.
Sgt McCabe added that the two other boys had suffered trauma and were receiving counselling. They were refusing to speak about the event, even to their parents.
A post-mortem by Dr Michael McDermott found that death was due to respiratory distress from full thickness burns to 70 per cent of the body.