Death of toddler found in garden pond was accident

The death of a two-year-old girl who drowned in a garden pond on Christmas Day after going missing for "a matter of minutes" has been ruled accidental.

Isobel Maxwell, from Doncaster, went missing during Christmas celebrations at her family's new home in Hatfield, in what a coroner described as a "devastating set of circumstances".

The inquest at Doncaster Coroner's Court heard Isobel left the house through an open door, and was found by her father Aaron Maxwell in the pond a short time later.

Area Coroner Louise Slater heard it was dark in the garden and part of the fence around the pond had fallen down. She recorded a verdict of accidental death and expressed her condolences to the family.

The court heard the family had moved into the house nine months earlier and it was intended to be their "forever home".

Isobel's mother, Tamara Wallace, and father had been intending to have the pond filled in during the summer and had put a temporary fence around it, but this did not go all the way around.

In a statement read to the inquest, Isobel's mother said her daughter was a healthy child and was known as "busy Izzie" because she was "always on the move – our little adventurer".

She said that there were 14 people at the house on Christmas Day and they had finished their dinner at about 14:30 GMT.

Isobel was going from room to room, opening presents and playing games but at one point knocked over a wax melt burner in the hall and her mother went to clean it up.

After she finished, she went to find her "to tell her it was OK and to be careful" but could not find her.

It was then that she went into the garden with her husband, who found Isobel in the pond.

Her mother started CPR and an ambulance arrived a short time later. Isobel was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Her parents were with her when she died, just before 18:00 BST.

Det Con Danielle Duncan-Blakely, of South Yorkshire Police, said an investigation found there were no suspicious circumstances and told the hearing: "It's sad, they have to carry on their lives knowing they've lost their little girl on that day.

"They've had another baby, I just hope they can bring some joy from that."

The coroner said Isobel's parents had chosen not to attend the inquest "due to the distressing circumstances".

Recording a conclusion of accidental death, she said: "I would like to wish my most heartfelt condolences for (the family's) loss, in these most tragic of circumstances."

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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