Sniff from deodorant can may have killed schoolgirl

A SNIFF from a deodorant can is believed to have cost the life of a Co Waterford schoolgirl who collapsed and died in front of her horrified friends.

Michelle Bray, 14, died within a minute’s walk of her home in the Childers Estate in Dungarvan on Sunday night despite desperate efforts by onlookers and the emergency services to revive her.

The teenager was out with friends earlier in the evening and had been sitting chatting in a car in her estate at about 9pm when it is thought she inhaled some of the contents of an aerosol can of deodorant and fell unconscious.

An ambulance was immediately called but efforts to revive her failed and she was pronounced dead by a doctor at the scene and her remains were brought to Waterford Regional Hospital where a post-mortem examination was carried out yesterday afternoon.

Gardaí said preliminary post-mortem results indicated her death was due to the inhalation of an intoxicant but it was not possible to determine at this stage without further toxicology tests what type of substance was involved. An inquest into her death will be held later.

The tragedy has stunned the Childers Estate where the Bray family are well-known members of the community and the sense of shock was also felt throughout Dungarvan which has a large youth population.

One local woman said more effort should be made to highlight the dangers of experimenting with aerosols. “If this is something that other young people are doing, we need to know they’re doing it and they need to be warned about what can happen. Even if it’s only tried once, it can be once too often as may have been the case with this poor girl.”

Michelle’s devastated family requested privacy to deal with their loss yesterday. They will bury their daughter tomorrow morning.