Little Boy Killed In Skiing Accident

[mikey4444]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-32269993

I saw this on the news yesterday but I hadn't realised that this little lad was only 7 years old. According to the news, he asked for permission to ski alone. How on earth did his parents allow him to go skiing alone, in such a dangerous place ? What on earth were they thinking of ?

[mikey4444]

Yes, but a tragedy that was caused by the decision to allow a small, 7 year old child to ski down a mountain on his own. This accident wasn't an Act of God, it was caused by a careless decision by his mother.

[Orderlimit]

In the vid clip (about 1min 40 s) they are saying they don't really know all the details yet so a bit unfair to speculate mickey.

[ummmm]

I do not associate one very bad decision with neglect. To me neglect is something that happens over time.

[Prudie]

Mikey you are being a bit unfair without all the facts to hand. By your argument any young child killed in an accident may well have had neglectful parents. 7 year olds get up to all kinds of things, you can't chain them down.

[mikey4444]

Prudie and others....it is obvious why his child died. He was skiing down the mountain on his own. There is no evidence that he "slipped his chain" I still maintain that the prime cause of the tragedy was the decision to allow him to ski unaccompanied. I can see no evidence in any of the news reports that there is an alternative version of the truth waiting out there, for us all to discover.

[Orderlimit]

Best to wait for all the facts mickey before making unfounded claims on such a sensitive matter.

[Prudie]

I know but 7 year olds ride bikes, horses, go swimming, play in the street and sometimes tragedy strikes. It doesn't mean their or this mother was necessarily neglectful, that's quite a term to use.

[jackthehat]

As a parent, I can confirm that it is perfectly possible to make one bad decision per day which, thankfully, has no serious or long-lasting consequence.

It is a tragedy that this particularly 'bad' decision cost the life of a child.

There but for the Grace of God....etc.....

[mushroom25]

"unaccompanied".

do any of the reports define this? does it mean he went off completely alone, or was the intent for the parents to follow at a discreet distance, only to lose sight of him in the maelstrom of skiers that sometimes characterises the last run of the day?

he may have been "unaccompanied", but there's insufficient information to say more. did he get lost? why did he leave the marked piste - accident or misplaced design? what "contingency" instructions was he given?

in criminal cases, you're the first to shout down those who "judge", innocent until proven guilty and all that. how about adopting your own mantra in this case?

[Zacs-Master]

A seven year old child and a mountain. Anyone with any common sense knows they don't go together. I'd call it wilful neglect.

[Fusion5]

I thought he had taken his skis off and went looking for his parents when he fell down the slope.

[mikey4444]

Mush....all the evidence so far seen is that he skied down alone. My point is that he shouldn't have been alone on the mountain, as zacs has pointed out.

If contrasting evidence is forthcoming, than I am more than willing to soften my line on this. I am quite happy to go along with Zcas "willful neglect" in the mean time.

[mikey4444]

Mush....."what contingency instructions was he given ? What instructions would you give your 7 year old, high up on a mountain ?

Would it be :::

A...No you can't ski don alone...stay with us ?
or
B...ski down the mountain on your own ?

[Prudie]

wilful neglect - so his mother deliberately couldn't care less?

[Canary42]

Brilliant - another opportunity for the ivory tower dwellers to mount a concerted attack on an unfortunate parent, one who must already be suffering considerable emotional torment.

Go, bullies, go.

[Jonathan-Joe]

Why, in these situations, is there sympathy for parents ("accidents will happen ... ") while, in similar incidents on school trips, teachers face suspension and possibly manslaughter charges?

[Zacs-Master]

His mother deliberately let her 7 year old son ski down a mountain. A MOUNTAIN. On his own.

[mikey4444]

I'm not sure that I can add anything new to this debate, but Jonathan-Joe has made a very valid point.

[mushroom25]

//What instructions would you give your 7 year old, high up on a mountain ? //

if the diagrams in the papers are accurate, comparing this with the piste map shows it wasn't "high" on the mountain (in the general scheme) but in an area know as "the snowpark". but i digress.

if we assume the boy was a competent skier and the parents' intent was to follow at a discreet distance, then instructions could include "if you get lost, ski to the lift and wait" (most runs end at a ski lift), "if we don't arrive, wait for the ski patrol", "do not leave the marked runs". we don't know if he was told any of this.

[douglas9401]

Tell you what then, we'll have the mother shot.
That'll teach her, eh? And satisfy your righteous wrath at the same time.

Give yourselves peace.