Teacher died when dune buggy fell down sheer drop

A ‘PHENOMENAL’ young teacher died alongside her boyfriend while working in Qatar when a sand dune buggy ride ended in tragedy.

Charlotte Sant, described as ‘very impressive and very committed’ by her former head at Wellacre Academy in Flixton, and Eamonn Morgan, both 24, were riding across the dunes of Doha in June 2015 when their vehicle overturned.

Just days earlier two friends, Nicola Fletcher and Holly Smith, had flown out and joined them on the ride.

But an inquest at Warrington Coroner’s Court heard that as Ms Fletcher drove over a dune, they only realised at the last moment it was a sheer drop on the other side.

The two friends in the front narrowly escaped serious injury but Charlotte and Eamonn in the back suffered fatal head and neck injuries. Cheshire Coroner Alan Moore told the hearing: “There was no way that it could have been anticipated. What had been planned as an enjoyable day out with friends ended as a tragic accident.”

He recorded a verdict in Charlotte’s case of death by accident due to multiple injuries.

Charlotte, from Sankey Bridges, in Warrington, had met Eamonn while studying in Manchester. They decided to move to Qatar together and had been in Doha for about a year teaching PE in English-speaking schools.

Devastated Ms Fletcher told the court that on June 26 – the day before the tragedy – the three girls had been food shopping, sitting around the pool and had a couple of drinks with friends.

The next day along with Eamonn, from Newry, Northern Ireland, the three girls had travelled to Siline to drive a buggy across the dunes.

Ms Fletcher said the group had no safety briefing but they all wore seatbelts. Although they were all offered safety helmets they decided not to use them and they all took it in turns to drive the buggy, the inquest heard.

Ms Fletcher explained: “It was time to head back and I said I would have another go. We headed up a dune and it just looked flat on top like the others. It was just a sheer drop. We didn’t know what was happening until it had happened. We just went off the edge.”

Ms Smith told the court: “Charlotte and Eamonn had used buggies before and nothing ever happened. We said no to the helmets – it was a case of a quick decision but a silly one. I remember just looking down and seeing all the sand. I think the buggy must have rolled.

“I woke up in hospital, I don’t remember anything just after the incident.”