Hannah’s Foundation is Australia’s leading Coronial Advocate for Water Safety and Drowning Prevention. Having attended or provided submissions to over 109 inquests over the last 16 years, our primary Coronial Research Officer and Founder Kat Plint is consistently supporting families, representing the Foundation as a Water Safety Advocate. Kat has been supported by Coroners in Recommendations and her research into the statistics of drownings in rental properties was the catalyst for change in Australia in 2009. The only organisation to pinpoint the higher risk to toddlers based on her support to families and during inquests. and presents submissions that Coroners have made commendations for.
Research currently being undertaken by the University of Queensland tells us that this service is one of the most unique charity services in Australia at the Peer Support level.
Coronial Support does not cost families, we do not represent the families in a legal sense, we are there to advocate the principles of water safety for recommendations to prevent loss of life in the future.
Hannah’s Foundation will travel both inter and intra-state in order to attend these inquests as advocates and also to provide emotional support to those families.
Our Coronial research is undertaken on several levels.
Firstly we speak with the families in question as to issues that they think are important.
An application is made to the relevant State Coroner for leave to appear as an advocate.
Once granted a copy of the Coronial brief (if approved by the Coroner) is obtained and read through recording questions that need to be asked and addressed from the written material. We will then make suggestions to the Coroner as to what witnesses are required and why we believe them to be important. We will then review previous Coronial Inquests and Finding to highlight similarities and differences between the deaths and will use this information to provide information to the Courts.
When the inquest commences formal leave to appear is sought to appear on behalf of Hannah’s Foundation as Water Safety Advocates. We will then listen to the questions and answers posed to each of the witnesses and ask more questions where appropriate.
At the conclusion of each inquest, we will then provide written or oral submissions to the Coroner as to recommendations that need to be made.
Katherine Plint has attended and made submissions in both oral and written forms in over 28 Coronial Inquests. She has also made submissions to various State Governments in relation to Pool Safety Legislation, Drowning Prevention And Awareness Programs and has been acknowledged and complimented by Coroners and Governments alike for the thoroughness and quality of the information provided.
With all of the Directors being experienced Police Officers and have prepared numerous briefs of evidence and attending and appearing as witnesses in the Courts there is a wealth of experience and knowledge.
Andrew Plint has prepared and attended numerous inquests and is also Sudden Death Liaison Officer with the Qld Police Service and has investigated numerous child deaths.
Andrew has been actively involved in the preparation of submissions to governments for legislative change as well as presenting to National and International conference delegates on water safety, Coronial investigations and general water safety and awareness programs. Andrew is also a Qualified Swimming Pool Safety Inspector in Queensland and a member of the Queensland Government Pool Safety Council. Katherine has also completed her Pool Safety Inspectors course and provides Professional opinion at Inquests.
The Foundation has made available to members of the Police Services throughout Australia an information sheet that can be used by investigators offering suggestions and ideas of areas of interest to coroners or those being involved in Drowning Prevention.
Director, Michelle Dodds is also a highly experienced advocate appearing and assisting the Coroner in many inquests and passionately advocating for families in that role. Michelle’s hard work and passion that the recommendations made in relation to the death of Phillip Tognola Have been used as a basis for many inquests in Queensland and other States. Michelle also had the Position of the Coronial Support Unit in Cairns investigating over 150 drownings.
Director Adam Reid was the Officer in Charge of the Queensland Police Dive Squad prior to his recent transfer to the QPS Dog Squad. Adam is a highly qualified and experienced diver having conducted numerous search and recover operations for those who have drowned or been reported missing. His assistance to ocean, diving and those missing in waters has been an integral part of the Foundations Coronial Advocacy.
Below are current findings and recommendations across the Country for Drowning, Boating, Ocean, Beach and Inland waterway drownings. The links are external to the relevant Coronial Support Units.
Queensland:
Inquest into the deaths caused by the south-east Queensland floods of January 2011 PDF File, 2.3 MB
South-east Queensland floods.
Four Winns PDF File, 100.7 KB
Recreational boating fatality; collision at sea; navigating in conditions of reduced visibility; “situational awareness”; recreational boat licensing
Choi, Seongeun; Park, Sang Won PDF File, 500.7 KB
Adventure tourism; white water rafting; Tully River; 8 person rafts; collision between rafts; diversion to hazardous route; capsize and entrapment with prolonged period of immersion; drowning; adequacy of safety risk management
Hatzidimitriadis, Georgina PDF File, 1.1 MB
Inquest Adventure tourism – white water sports rafting – two person inflatable rafts – Russell River – 2 guides and 11 rafters – capsize and entrapment – drowning – limited understanding of English – limited paddling proficiency
Robinson, Ian PDF File, 632.3 KB
Inquest, Adventure tourism, white water rafting, Tully River, 8 person rafts, capsize, entrapment with prolonged period of immersion, drowning, adequacy of safety risk management
2 year old child PDF File, 103.7 KB
Child drowning, adequacy of supervision, swimming pool leglslation.
Bennett, James Andrew PDF File, 587.7 KB
Natural swimming hole within Council Reserve effectiveness of warning signs and safety rails need for exclusion zone.
Child at Rockhampton PDF File, 114.5 KB
Child death, drowning in public pool, adequacy of supervision, Workplace, health and safety investigation
O’Neill, Timothy Gerard PDF File, 159.7 KB
Boating accident, night navigation, use of navigational aids, recreational boat licensing, appropriate marking of navigational hazard, sea wall.
Shekar, Sridhar PDF File, 71.5 KB
Jet-ski, personal watercraft, licensing, helmets, Hire and Drive Standard 2007.
Zaza, Jean-Marie Jeremie Yannick PDF File, 139.5 KB
Infant drowning; pool safety and inspections; “Homestay” residential arrangements; residential tenancies and pool safety; review of swimming pool safety to Queensland Government
Downing, Cheyenne Ruby PDF File, 76.9 KB
Swimming pool drowning of a child. Recommendations concerning legislation with respect to construction and inspection of pool fencing.
Broe, Stephen James PDF File, 209.8 KB
Inquest, deep technical recreation diving, decompression illness, investigation of diving deaths.
Blake, Melissa Maree PDF File, 785.7 KB
Inquest – suicide, drowning, Mental Health Service, whether treatment appropriate
Malu Sara vessel – Flora Enosa, Wilfred Baira, Ethena Enosa, Ted Harry, Valerie Saub PDF File, 627.6 KB
Inquest, DIAC procurement procedures, AMSA survey regime, MSQ boat builder accreditation regime, QPS and ATSB investigation methods.
Trcka, Peter Joseph PDF File, 228.7 KB
Inquest – Trawler, EPIRBS, personal floatation devices.
Plint, Hannah Isabella Alyson PDF File, 105.8 KB
Child drowning
Batten, Derek , Tunstead , Peter and Tunstead, James PDF File, 988.6 KB
Inquest into the deaths of Derek Batten, Peter Tunstead and James Tunstead who went missing off the vessel Kaz II. Missing persons, lost at sea, search and rescue
Rouse, Christine Chloe PDF File, 238.4 KB
Death at Cloncurry Hospital on 12 March 2005, where a child drowned in a public pool.
Tierney, Beverley Ann PDF File, 48.3 KB
Drowning, wet drowning, dry drowning.
Boyce, Amanda Helen PDF File, 69.5 KB
Death in spa, Reynolds equation, laminae flow, turbulent flow, hair entrapment, tangling and knotting.
Baker, Rodney John PDF File, 117.8 KB
Trawler fishing, boat capsizing, hydrostatic released life rafts, PFDs, EPIRBs, search and rescue.
Creegan, Thomas PDF File, 86.9 KB
Diving accident at Hastings Reef, Great Barier Reef, Far North Queensland. Recommendations concerning training for the diving industry, assessment of fitness to dive and other issues.
Sperling, Karl Peter PDF File, 56.1 KB
Drowning of an army cadet on exercise
Tognola, Phillip Allan Walter PDF File, 96.1 KB
Swimming pool drowning of a child. Recommendations concerning inspection of pools.
Dell, Maren Lyndsey PDF File, 49.2 KB
Diving accident at Agincourt Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Far North Queensland. Recommendations concerning training for the diving industry.
NEW SOUTH WALES
