Kyra Hill death: Dad distressed over water park reopening

Kyra Hill was attending a birthday party at the venue when she got into difficulty

The father of a girl who drowned at a water park has spoken of his despair over it being allowed to reopen.

Kyra Hill, 11, was found over an hour after going missing at Liquid Leisure, near Windsor in Berkshire, on 6 August.

Her father, Leonard Hill, from Croydon in south London, said footage from the scene was like a "horror movie".

Liquid Leisure has been told it can only partially reopen, with some activities still restricted, while a council investigation continues.

Tributes and flowers were left outside Liquid Leisure after Kyra's death

Kyra had been attending a birthday party when she got into difficulty in a designated swimming area.

Emergency services were called at 15:55 BST and she was found just after 17.10, when she was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.

The water park was immediately closed.

Mr Hill, 36, said: "When I heard that news [of the partial reopening] it just broke my heart all over again and it's just dragged me back down to ground level - floor below ground level."

The father-of-three described the heartbreak of watching CCTV of the incident.

"I've replayed the CCTV in my mind every day, every night. It's like watching a horror movie," he said.

"I replay my child on a hospital bed every day, every night."

The park was closed after Kyra's death on 6 August

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead council said a revised prohibition notice still barred all water-based activities "apart from boating activities, primarily those associated with water-skiing and wakeboarding and tow cabling for water-skiing and wakeboarding".

The authority is also not allowing Liquid Leisure to use its beach area.

"The revised notice will remain in place until such time as Liquid Leisure has satisfied the council they have suitable and sufficient risk assessments to prevent or reduce the risk of drowning," a spokesperson for the authority said.

"We are in the process of conducting a health and safety investigation into the tragic incident at Liquid Leisure to determine any potential breaches under relevant health and safety legislation."

In a statement, Liquid Leisure said it reopened its cable water ski and water sports areas on Saturday following clearance from the council.

"As has always been the position, all the water-based activities at the site are monitored by fully trained Royal Life Saving Society lifeguards," the statement added.

"We want to reiterate our deepest sympathies to the family and all those impacted by this tragedy, and will provide further updates when we can."