Notts woman pays tribute to heroic dad who tried to save tragic Clipstone toddler in caravan blaze

Two-year-old Louisiana-Brook, from Clipstone, tragically died in the fire at Sealands Caravan Park, Ingoldmells, Lincolnshire, on Monday August 23.

Now, Bethany Walker has praised her father’s brave efforts for trying to save the trapped toddler.

Mark Turner, was in his new caravan with his partner, Claire Walker, and her two grandsons, just two down from the site of the fire, which began at around 10:30pm.

Mark ran to the fire, and with the help of another man, they tried to open the caravan doors and windows and get the two-year-old girl out of the caravan.

“My dad spoke to me about it and he's devastated,” Bethany said. “The fire was just too hot, and the smoke was just too bad. He couldn’t see.

“He's also got to take into consideration that he has also got his own little family as well. It was a brave thing to do.

“This is the first time I've ever really seen him cry because my dad is a tough person. It definitely has hit him hard.”

While trying to save the child, Mark also had to help his partner evacuate her grandchildren out of their caravan by getting them out of bed and placing a towel over their heads to protect them from the smoke.

Bethany is thanking the community for the ongoing support of her father. “We’re proud of him for trying what he did” she said. “He should never doubt himself because he tried his best. We’re all so proud of him.”

Mr Turner, 51, of Dukeries Crescent, Manton, Worksop, and his partner, Claire, had got the keys to their new caravan on the site on Monday, August 23 and had taken their grandchildren for a trip away on the day the fire happened.

The toddler’s mother, Natasha Broadley, and three of the toddler's siblings managed to escape the holiday home as it went up in flames.

Lincolnshire Police are currently treating the young girl’s death as unexplained and that the investigation is expected to take "some time".

A friend of the child’s family has set up a GoFundMe page which can be found here, and has currently reached over £16,300.

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