AN inquest into the death of a Stretford teenager, who died in Fiji while working on an a coral reef eco-project, heard claims that the company behind the scheme had no health and safety training in place for new arrivals.

On day two of the inquest of Luke Molnar, who died in August 2006 aged 17 after touching an electrified wire washing line, the court heard from six volunteers who had also been working for Coral Cay Conservation at the time of his death.

All six of the gap year students - who had arrived within days of Luke - told the inquest no specific health and safety training was offered upon arrival at the tiny Pacific island of Tokoriki. Nor were they told by any representative of Coral Cay the location of first aid equipment or standard procedure in the event of an emergency situation.

There was also criticism of the expedition leader Simone Fleetwood, who on Monday the court heard was given the post as an alternative to another job she had applied for within the company, despite lacking the experience, and that she had not had any health and safety training.

And in the frantic moments after Luke, of Derbyshire Lane, was electrocuted, the inquest was told Simone ’took a back seat’ while other volunteers and holidaymakers took control of lifesaving attempts.

Volunteer Jennifer Waller explained how she found herself in charge, first carrying out CPR on Luke, then confirming with a local hotel manager that sea plane rescue was ruled out because of bad weather, to finally sourcing a boat to take Luke for proper medical treatment.

Coroner John Pollard asked her: “You were running the show at this point, weren’t you?”.

“Yes” she replied. “She was just watching what we were doing. She was upset and crying.”

But defence counsel Kath Howells said: “She (Ms Fleetwood) accepts she adopted a low-key approach, but she was doing more than you might suggest.”

On the third day of the inquest, Coral Cay Conservation’s chief executive Peter Raines told the court he believed his staff were well versed in health and safety procedures. He said that all project leaders would have been sent a manual outlining company safety policies prior to leaving the UK.

But he also admitted in emergency situations you can never predict how someone would react.

He said: “One never knows how an individual will react to these type of things - you just can’t guess these things.”

He defended expedition leader Ms Fleetwood: “For her to take a moment out is understandable. I believe she was doing what she could under the circumstances.”

Earlier, volunteer Luke Chapman told the court he survived a ‘large’ electric shock from the same washing line that moments later killed his pal.

Describing the instant he received the belt of electricity, he said: “I walked down some steps to put my T-shirt on the metal washing line. All of the volunteers had used this line before.”

On touching it he said: “I suddenly got a large, hard shock. I don’t know if I passed out, but I knew something was happening and I was thrown over the washing line moving forward.”

Luke then told the inquest he lost consciousness, but came around after an unknown time span to see Luke Molnar lying face down on the floor with the washing line underneath him.