KEY POINTS:
The consequences of sniffing butane gas are very likely to be death, Timaru coroner Bernard MacGeorge has warned.
He found in the Timaru Coroner's Court yesterday that Luke Rylan Taylor, 15, student, of Milton, died at the Falstone camping ground, Lake Benmore, on December 29 due to cardio-pulmonary arrest as a result of the intentional inhalation of butane gas. His death was by way of misadventure.
The nature of Luke's death was serious, not only for him and his family, but Mr MacGeorge believed it also indicated some kind of a belief that "sniffing butane" was something that could be undertaken safely, gave some kind of "high" and was a "cool thing to do".
"The information before me makes it very clear that this practice is absolutely lethal and I hope that considerable publicity is given to that fact," he said.
Giving evidence, Senior Constable Brent Swanson, of Twizel, said Luke had been staying with a friend and the friend's parents at the camping ground.
About 11.30pm on December 28, he was involved in an "incident" with the friend in a tent. Inquiries revealed that Luke and his friend, had consumed a quantity of butane gas from a canister, Mr Swanson said.
People at the scene attempted to resuscitate Luke and, when ambulance staff and a doctor arrived from Twizel, they also unsuccessfully attempted to resuscitate him.
Asked by Mr MacGeorge whether the butane canisters could be bought easily, Mr Swanson said they could be.
The canister involved was an old canister and it had previously been used and stored at Luke's friend's address.
"If you undertake something and it's reasonable to assume there is no risk and something untoward happens, that is an accident. If you undertake something where you know there is a level of risk and something untoward happens, that is misadventure."
He believed Luke knew there was a level of risk involved.
Mr MacGeorge had hoped the pathologist would be able to give his evidence directly but he was unfortunately overseas.
The coroner said he had discussed the death with the pathologist to help to clarify his own understanding of the effect of butane.
According to the post mortem report, Luke was a "very healthy young man" with a "healthy system inside, including the heart".
The direct toxic effects of sniffing butane included lack of oxygen, inhibited cardiac function, slowing of the heartbeat, reduced respiration rate and working of the lungs and the gas could cause cardiac arrest.
It could also cause the rhythm of the heart to become erratic and produce drowsiness.
The pathologist believed the damage was done almost immediately and Luke was already in "dying mode" before help arrived.
A serious attempt was made to try to revive him which went on for some considerable time. Despite that, "the die had already been cast", Mr MacGeorge said.
"If this can happen to a young healthy person like Luke, it can happen to anybody else who attempts it."
He proposed to make recommendations to convey that information publicly and, in particular, to schools.
"If there is some kind of belief or culture among some young people that this is cool, I want to attempt to dispel that immediately."
He wanted to point out the feeling they would get was not a high, but a low - a signal from that body that it was in dying mode. Luke's death might perhaps have some benefit by that information being made available.
Asked by Mr MacGeorge if she wanted to make any comment, Luke's mother, Virginia Heta, said after she had buried her son her partner went on the internet, pretended to be a teenager, and found instructions on how to "huff". She believed there was a culture.
Mr MacGeorge ordered the names, address and occupation of Luke's friend and his family and the school to be not published.
- OTAGO DAILY TIMES
