Girl died on first birthday after falling from fort

Savanah May Halcrow should have celebrated her first birthday at a North Canterbury playground in January last year.

Instead, she died on the day she turned 1 after falling from a playground fort as her mother prepared the area for the toddler’s upcoming party.

A coroner has used the case to remind parents of the importance of watching young ones vigilantly as they play.

On January 14 last year Savanah was at the Glenmark Playcentre in Waipara with her mother, Sandra Laurie.

Savanah’s first birthday party was to be held on the following Saturday and Laurie had gone to the playcentre to prepare for it.

About 10.30am Laurie took Savanah into the playcentre and arranged furniture for the party.

She mowed the lawns, leaving Savanah in the playground.

The playground had a fort consisting of three square-sized areas with interconnecting bridges. Bark chip was in place under the entire fort.

In her findings, Coroner Sue Johnson explained how Savanah suffered her fatal injuries.

A CT scan later confirmed she had a brain bleed and swelling and rising pressure in her skull. She underwent emergency surgery and was transferred by helicopter to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland the next day.

She died later that evening at 10.26pm on her first birthday from blunt force trauma to the head.

The Ministry of Education carried out an assessment of the playcentre, which revealed the bark did not meet the required depth or cover and appeared to have compacted over time.