A TRAGIC young farm worker died after she was crushed by a quad bike, a sheriff has ruled.
Samantha Bunting, 21, passed away following the accident at Gerranton Farm, near Castle Douglas, Dumfries and Galloway.
She had been looking for a missing cow on the dairy farm and was later discovered by a colleague.
Emergency services raced to the scene in September 2021 but she was pronounced dead.
A fatal accident inquiry at Dumfries Sheriff Court heard Miss Bunting lost control of her vehicle after hitting a small ridge.
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She was thrown off the bike before it landed on her and crushed her upper body.
Her cause of death was recorded as mechanical asphyxia due to a quad bike accident.
Sheriff Colm P Dempsey found there were no precautions which could reasonably have been taken which might realistically have resulted in the death being avoided.
He further found no defects in any system of working which contributed to the tragedy.
The inquiry was told Miss Bunting had gone to find a missing calf but had been found by co-worker Emma Farren who spotted the missing animal but then discovered Miss Bunting face down on the ground with the quad bike on top of her.
Sheriff Dempsey said: “Samantha Bunting was a 21-year-old lady who was a much loved daughter, sister, friend and colleague.
“She had grown up on a farm and was considered by those she worked with to be a highly skilled farmer.
“The cause of the accident was due to the quad bike driven by Miss Bunting striking a small ridge on the ground which caused her to lose control of the vehicle.
“Miss Bunting became separated from the quad bike and fell to the ground with the quad bike subsequently coming to rest on her upper torso.”
No defects were found with the vehicle but the inquiry heard quad bikes were no longer used on the farm.
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Sheriff Dempsey concluded: “Lastly I express my condolences, along with those of the parties who appeared at the inquiry, to the family and friends of Miss Bunting.”
Miss Bunting’s devastated family donated money collected at her funeral to fund the creation of a computer classroom for children in Nepal.
It has been named Sam’s Lab in her honour.
Devastated friends flooded social media with glowing tributes after the accident.
One said: "Can’t believe you are gone, thoughts are with your family and friends at this difficult time... you will be sorely missed."
Another tribute added: "Incredibly sad, our thoughts are with her family and friends, such a lovely young lady taken far too young."
A spokesman for farm operator JR Heuchan and Son said earlier: “She went to look for a cow that hadn’t returned from the field and never came back.
“A fellow worker found her. It’s a shock.
“She was incredibly experienced and had worked on farms for years.”
