CIOB Ambassador and environmental reporting expert Kye Gbangbola FCIOB has spoken this week about the death of his son Zane during the February floods as he continues to press for answers to what caused the tragedy. The seven-year-old died after suffering a heart attack at their flooded home in Chertsey, Surrey, whilst asleep during the night. Kye Gbangbola suffered a cardiac arrest and remains paralysed from the waist down.
“I’m broken literally. I don’t know how to assemble any kind of focus on life and what it’s about. It’s something which is truly just unbearable for us,” Gbangbola told ITV news. “No-one should experience going to bed laughing, joking as we always did in our house and wake up like this.”
His wife and Zane’s mother, Nicole Lawler, was also admitted to hospital, but did not require treatment.
Lawyers for the couple are investigating whether the family’s house was affected by hydrogen cyanide. Lawyer Vijay Ganapathy of solicitors Leigh Day told the BBC that it was possible floodwater ran off nearby contaminated land into the house.
Police, unable to establish what happened to the family, have referred the case to the Home Office, which has failed to provide any answers yet.
A Surrey Police statement said: “The investigation into Zane’s death remains on-going. A post-mortem examination carried out on Tuesday 11 February did not establish a clear cause of death and we await the results of further tests which are expected to take a number of weeks.
“It would be wrong to speculate on the cause of death at this stage. Officers continue to provide updates to Zane’s family. We fully appreciate this is difficult time as we wait for updates.
Kye Gbangbola is founder of sustainability consultant Total eco Management where his wife is a fellow founder and joint managing director. TEM was the official sustainability reporting supplier to the organiser of the London 2012 Olympic Games, LOCOG, resulting in some global firsts in GRI (Global Reporting Initiative) reporting practice.
Gbangbola, a regular contributor to Construction Manager, is a recognised expert in sustainability, its reporting and governance. He is a CIOB Ambassador with interests in leadership, and a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Climate Change Group. In addition Kye is the CIOB representative on the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Pilot Project consisting of 70 of the world’s leading organisations, including Microsoft, developing future global reporting.
A fund as been set up to support the family and a permanent memorial for Zane. www.gofundme.com/Zane-Gbangbola-Fund
I have known Kye for sometime and indeed deeply saddened by this terrible loss. My thoughts and prayers for both Kye and Nicole to bear this unbearable loss. We can not get Zane back, but definitely need to know the answers.
Thank you for your kind support in our search for truth and justice to find answers on how our beautiful son died and how Hydrogen Cyanide got into our home during the floods.
More information can be found on http://www.TruthAboutZane.com
Thank you
I am deeply saddened by your loss. We met only once at a CIOB Surrey Centre Sustainability event at Betchworth. Whilst nothing can make up for losing Zane, please take some comfort from the positive response to our event. Your enthusiasm and motivation for your Sustainability role was so positively received by all attendees. I am sure they will share my wish that you achieve closure and resolution in understanding the underlying cause as soon as possible.
No matter how long it takes, the truth will come out. We all know who are culpable. I never thought this type of cover up will happen in a civilised nation. Maybe there are no more civilised nations. It’s a massive shame and disgrace to the nation.
This is a tragedy of the worst kind affecting a colleague and friend. All who know Kye will be deeply moved by his loss and pray for answers to allow him to have some closure to this terrible incident. Once you have met Kye he is never to be forgotten – a highly motivated and intelligent gentleman in a dark three piece suit and driving a Smart car.