AN inquest was told in Dublin yesterday that no emergency medical or first aid service was at the 5 p.m. Walt Disney ice skating show on November 1st, 1992, attended by some 4,000 people, mostly children, at the RDS.
Twelve year old Michelle Boyle, of Grosvenor Court, Templeogue, Dublin, collapsed in the first row of the "World on Ice" spectacular and died eight days later in St Vincent's Hospital.
Mr Gerry Rickard, accounts director, of Domino Marketing Services, said the St John's Ambulance Brigade was paid a donation and had given an undertaking to be present for all the 1992 shows.
He discovered after the girl's death that a St John's team had been in attendance at an earlier show on the same day, but had departed before the arrival of a new team. He said the man responsible for the change over had gone ill and no replacement crew was available for the 5 p.m. show.
By a majority verdict of seven to one, the inquest jury returned a verdict of death by misadventure. It recommended that an appropriate body be set up to look at the legal aspects of providing trained medical personnel at public events where large crowds attend.
Earlier, in evidence, an usher at the event, Mr John Moore, told the Dublin Coroner's Court that between 27 and 34 ushers were hired by the organisers for the 5 p.m. show, but none of them had medical or first aid training.
He said: "When I removed this little girl to a nearby room after picking her off the concrete floor where she had fainted, I went looking for the first aid post. But there was no such station, either in the show arena or in the room."
Mrs Doreen Dunne told the inquest she was a supervisor of ushers on duty after being hired by Domino Marketing Services. But this contract did not include the provision of first aid or medical staff.
The inquest was told how the girl's aunt, Mrs Terry Donnelly, of Annadale Crescent, Drumcondra, took Michelle and her two brothers, David and Trevor, to the show. At the interval she went to a nearby stall with the two boys, but on her return she saw Michelle lying motionless on the floor.
Mrs Anne Moylan, of The Grove, Kingswood Heights, Dublin, said the girl was mildly shaken after falling unconscious in her seat. As no medical help was available, she herself checked her airways and pulse and was shocked to see her being moved "in a rough fashion" from the scene by a burly man.
The girl's father, Mr Paul Boyle, said his daughter suffered from mild asthma but had grown out of it. She used inhalers and medication at times and had fainting spells. But she had not been sick and was in good health before the RDS show.
Mr Brendan McNichols, a member of the Dublin Fire Brigade and Ambulance Service, said he helped to remove the girl at 6.32 p.m. to St Vincent's Hospital. On arrival in casualty she was without breathing and had no pulse.
Dr Jane Doyle, a pathologist said she carried out an autopsy on Michelle eight days later at the hospital. She attributed death to "multi organ dysfunction syndrome in association with changes to the brain consistent with the aspiration of gastric contents into the lung".
The inquest was told by Mr Neil Campbell, deputy premises manager responsible for security at the show, that the promoters had undertaken to look after first aid.
He had spoken to Mr Robert McHugh, of the Walt Disney organisation, who was shocked to see the girl collapsing and no first aid help available. He understood that Mr McHugh carried out an investigation into the non appearance of a first aid team.
After yesterday's hearing, Mr Peter O'Reilly, a solicitor for the family, said there had been fatal consequences of a 15 minute delay between Michelle's collapse and her arrival at the hospital.