https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13451251/Schoolgirl-10-killed-mudslide-school-trip-Yorkshire.htmlSchoolgirl, 10, killed in mudslide on school trip just days after finishing her SAT exams as family pay tribute to 'happy, bubbly little girl' who dreamed of playing for the Lionesses
Leah Harrison, 10, was caught up in the disaster near Carlton-in-Cleveland
By Megan Howe
Published: 10:58, 23 May 2024 | Updated: 12:05, 23 May 2024
A 'bubbly go-lucky' schoolgirl was tragically killed in a mudslide whilst on a school trip yesterday, just days after finishing her SAT exams. Leah Harrison, 10, was caught up in the disaster near Carlton-in-Cleveland while on a school trip after a morning of persistent rain, it is understood. Emergency services rushed to the scene at Carlton Bank just after 1pm, but despite their efforts, North Yorkshire Police later confirmed that one person had sadly died. Leah was a 'much-loved' Year 6 pupil at Mount Pleasant Primary School in Darlington, County Durham. Family member Melissa Mullen said: 'Leah Harrison, the happy bubbly go lucky little girl. The beautiful smile, the giddy laugh the silly jokes. You will never be forgotten baby girl. You will achieve your dream and become a player for the lionesses. Spread those wings. May you rest in paradise.'
Chief Executive of the Lingfield Education Trust Nick Blackburn said: 'The full details are still emerging but this is clearly a heartbreaking tragedy. Leah was a much-loved part of our school and our thoughts and prayers are with her family, friends, and the school staff. Counselling is being arranged within the school for pupils and staff. We are all in a state of shock and we would ask that the privacy of the family and the school community is respected while we try to come to terms with what has happened.'
Residents of Carlton-in-Cleveland have since spoken of their devastation following the tragedy. One shocked local, who lives close to where the mudslide happened, said: 'It's a devastating situation. We saw a tremendous amount of emergency vehicles with blue lights flying past the house. It was around 1pm when they came and 5pm when they left. It was pouring with rain yesterday, which would have made the area sloppy and the rescue quite difficult. We've been left with a lot of questions about what happened.'
Another resident added: 'There were three fire engines, six police cars and an air ambulance called in to help. The route is on the coast to coast so it attracts walkers from all over the country.'
One neighbour added: 'It is very rare that someone gets hurt while walking along there. It would have happened on the side of the mountain near where we live. It's very steep. It's a difficult route because there are a lot of old mines there. Emergency services rushed past our house. Mountain rescue and police were there. There were a lot of private cars as they always call in volunteers to help on these rescues. It's very sad.'
Another anonymous local said: 'I used to ride on the mountain as a child on my bike but they had to close it for a while to secure it. The hillside surface was crumbling away but I don't know if it's still like that. There are always hikers going up there and dog walkers.'
In a statement, North Yorkshire Police said: 'We can confirm that one person has sadly died as a result of the incident. Our thoughts are with their family and friends during this difficult time. We ask the public to avoid the area to allow our teams to work efficiently and to respect the privacy of those affected. We are actively gathering information and will provide further updates as soon as we can. We would ask the public to refrain from speculation and spreading unverified information.'
The area was covered by a Met Office yellow weather warning which saw a month's worth of rain fall in 12 hours on Wednesday.
