Kilvington Grammar student Lachlan Cook was in Vietnam when he became seriously ill and later died as a result of mismanaged diabetes.
Kilvington Grammar student Lachlan Cook was in Vietnam when he became seriously ill and later died as a result of mismanaged diabetes.
By Caroline Schelle
January 29, 2025 — 11.43am
A Melbourne private school and a travel adventure company have been fined nearly $300,000 after a 16-year-old student died from diabetes complications after a trip to Vietnam.
Kilvington Grammar student Lachlan Cook died at the Royal Children’s Hospital in October 2019 after becoming ill from severe diabetic ketoacidosis, a complication of the disease, while on the trip.
The school and travel company World Challenge Expeditions pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws in the County Court of Victoria in December, and were sentenced on Wednesday.
County Court Judge Angela Ellis fined the school $140,000 and the company $150,000.
Kilvington Grammar principal Rob French said the school accepted the penalty and its responsibility for its role in the “devastating and unimaginable outcome”.
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“Nothing can alter the fact, however, that Lachie passed away in tragic circumstances,” he said in a statement.
“I offer my deepest apologies to Lachie’s family and friends for their devastating loss. Our thoughts and prayers remain with them today, and always.”
The principal said the school would continue to honour the memory of the teenager.
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“He lived with courage and determination in the face of adversity, displayed genuine leadership qualities, was warm-spirited, inclusive of others and a greatly respected member of the school community.”
World Challenge Expeditions boss Paul Fletcher said the company kept the boy’s family and friends in their thoughts.
“Our thoughts have been with Lachlan Cook’s family since this tragic accident in 2019, and we’ll continue to think of his family through these times,” Fletcher told reporters outside court on Wednesday.
He said the company had implemented changes after Lachlan’s death, including updating its policies to ensure more detailed information is available for trip leaders on diabetes and pre-existing health conditions.
During the trip, Cook vomited twice on a bus as the group travelled to Hue, a city in central Vietnam on September 26.
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His blood glucose, heart rate and temperature were checked when it happened, and he was given water, paracetamol and anti-nausea medication.
Despite this, he continued to vomit and the World Challenge Expeditions trip leader questioned the teen about checking his blood glucose levels again.
She contacted their international operations centre, but failed to mention the teen’s diabetes, which would have been a “red flag”, the court was told.
The next day, a Kilvington Grammar teacher checked Lachlan’s blood glucose levels twice, but the boy started slurring his speech and lost consciousness. He was rushed to hospital in a taxi.
The 16-year-old had a cardiac arrest but never recovered. He was flown back to Melbourne and died in hospital on October 4.
His family tuned into the hearing remotely, but did not make a statement as they wished to honour his memory privately.
A coroner found the teenager’s death was preventable after an inquest in 2022, and pinned failures on the school and trip organisers as contributing factors to the boy’s death.
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Caroline Schelle is an education reporter, and joined The Age in 2022. She previously covered courts at AAP.Connect via Twitter or email.
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