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A TWO-year-old boy was killed as his parents walked him back from the beach, an inquest heard.

Sonny Macdonald was in his pushchair, just minutes away from home, when a car crashed into the family at around 8.15pm on August 16.

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Tragedy struck as the vehicle lost control and smashed through a metal barrier in Gorrell Tank car park, Whitstable, Kent.

Sonny was pronounced dead at the scene, while his parents were rushed to hospital with serious injuries.

An inquest into the two-year-old’s death was opened at Oakwood House in Maidstone on Friday.

Coroner Katrina Hepburn said: “His mother and father witnessed his death, which occurred at approximately 8.24pm.

“[They] were walking back from Whitstable beach from the harbour with Sonny, who was in a pushchair.”

She said the car turned into Cromwell Road, “lost control” and “drove into the family”, as reported by Kent Online.

“The vehicle continued through a metal barrier down onto a car park below, around a six-foot drop, taking Sonny with it,” the coroner added.

Due to an ongoing police investigation, the inquest was adjourned.

Kent Police arrested a man in his 20s at the scene of the horror, on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

He has been bailed while investigations are ongoing.

Floral tributes and cuddly toys were left at the scene in wake of the tragedy.

Canterbury and Whitstable MP Rosie Duffield said at the time: “I was shocked and very saddened to hear about the horrific incident in Whitstable, and I cannot begin to imagine what the family of the little boy who lost his life must be going through.

“My thoughts are with them and all caught up in this awful tragedy.

”Thank you to our excellent emergency services and all who were there to help, I hope the Police are able to carry out their investigations swiftly and provide some answers about what happened.

“I would urge anyone who may have been nearby to contact Kent Police in case you may have picked up important evidence on your dashcam, or witnessed something that may turn out to be significant.”

Witnesses who have not yet spoken to police, should call 01622 798538 or email [email protected], quoting reference BN/AL/058/25.

Relevant CCTV and dashcam footage can be uploaded via the online portal.

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A baggage cart passes by a Southwest 737 Max 8 airliner after arriving from Los Angeles at St. Louis-Lambert International Airport on March 13, 2019. Over the Labor Day weekend, Southwest became one of the first U.S. carriers to take delivery and fly a plane with a “secondary barrier” to protect pilots from cockpit intrusions. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 1 (UPI) — Southwest Airlines has become one of the first U.S. carriers to take flight with an added barrier to protect pilots from intrusions when they exit the cockpit.

Southwest took delivery of the Boeing 737 Max 8, with the added retractable gate-like feature, and put it into service over the Labor Day weekend. The change comes nearly 24 years after the Sept. 11 terror attacks.

“For Southwest this was the right decision,” the airline said in a statement. “We have a robust safety management system that takes a proactive approach when it comes to enhancing safety wherever possible.”

The additional flight deck barrier is designed to prevent cockpit invasions, like those during the 2001 terror attacks when hijackers took control of four jetliners. The secondary gate is closed to provide added protection for pilots when they open the cockpit door to access the lavatory.

Before the barriers, flight attendants have routinely blocked access to the front of the plane, using themselves or a drink cart, whenever a pilot leaves the flight deck. While existing planes cannot be retrofitted with the barriers, newly delivered planes will come with the barrier installed.

Last week, a 2023 Federal Aviation Administration regulation required Boeing and Airbus to begin delivering its new planes with the secondary barriers.

According to the final rule, the new barrier “will be deployed, closed and locked whenever the flight deck door is opened while the airplane is in flight.”

While Southwest has decided to take immediate delivery of planes with the secondary barriers, other airlines have opted to wait until July 2026 after the FAA granted a one-year exemption.

ATLANTA — Jen Pawol breezed through Sunday’s Marlins-Braves game as if breaking a gender barrier was just another day on the job.

Considering Pawol became the first female umpire to work behind the plate in the majors, making unprecedented history appear to be routine was especially impressive.

“I think Jen did a really nice job,” Miami manager Clayton McCullough said after Atlanta’s 7-1 win over the Marlins.

“I think she’s very composed back there. She handled and managed the game very well. And big day for her. Big day for Major League Baseball. I congratulated her again on that because it’s quite the accomplishment.”

It was an impressive cap to a memorable weekend for Pawol. She made history in Saturday’s doubleheader as the first female umpire to work a regular-season game in the majors. She called the bases in the doubleheader before moving behind the plate on Sunday, placing her in the brightest spotlight for an umpire.

Pawol never showed any indication of being affected by the attention, even while knowing every call would be closely watched.

“Congrats to Jen, obviously,” said Braves left-hander Joey Wentz, who earned the win by allowing only one run in 5 1/3 innings.

Asked about Pawol’s calls, Wentz said, “I try not to focus on the zone, to be honest with you. … I thought it was good though.”

There were few opportunities for disputes as Wentz and Miami starting pitcher Cal Quantrill combined for only three strikeouts. The first called third strike came in the fifth inning, when Pawol used a fist pump when calling out Miami’s Kyle Stowers on a pitch that was close to the edge of the plate.

McCullough was seen in the Marlins dugout with his palms held up as if asking about the pitch call. He said after the game it’s not unusual to question a close called strike.

“Over the course of the game, there are a number of times that you just are going to be asking for clarity on one, if you aren’t sure,” McCullough said. “So it could have been that.”

The 48-year-old Pawol was called up as a rover umpire, so her next assignment in the majors has not been announced.

“I wish her the best moving forward as she continues to, I’m sure, hopefully one day be up full time, you know, a permanent big league umpire,” McCullough said.

Pawol also received positive reviews from Braves manager Brian Snitker, who on Saturday said, “You can tell she knows what she does.”

Pawol’s work in the minor leagues began in 2016 when she was assigned to the Gulf Coast League. She worked in the Triple-A championship game in 2023 and in spring training games in 2024 and again this year.

“We certainly didn’t call her up from A ball, right?” Quantrll said. “So yeah, I’m sure she was well prepared. And like I said I think, you know, part of the game moving forward is that if this is normal then we’re going to treat it normal, too. So, you know, I thought it was fine. I think she did she did a quality job. … And yeah, I think she’d be very proud of herself. And, you know, it’s kind of a cool little thing to be part of.”

Pawol spoke to reporters on Saturday when she said, “The dream actually came true today. I’m still living in it. I’m so grateful to my family and Major League Baseball for creating such an incredible work environment. … I’m just so thankful.”

Pawol received cheers from fans on both days. On Sunday, some held up “Way to go Jen!” signs.

Odum writes for the Associated Press.

New Australian government report finds coral decline across the reef due to ‘climate change-induced heat stress’.

The Great Barrier Reef has suffered its most widespread coral bleaching on record, according to a new Australian government report, as ocean temperatures soared in 2024.

The Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) said on Wednesday that it surveyed the health of the reefs between August 2024 and May 2025 and found the “most spatially extensive” bleaching since records began in 1986, which was “predominantly driven by climate change-induced heat stress”.

Scientists also found that coral cover declined by almost one-third, down to just 26.9 percent, in the southernmost third of the reef, as the southern reefs experienced their highest recorded levels of heat stress.

“The declines in the north and south were the largest in a single year since monitoring began 39 years ago,” the study’s authors wrote in The Conversation publication.

Described as the world’s largest living structure, the Great Barrier Reef is a 2,300km (1,400-mile) expanse of tropical corals that houses a stunning array of biodiversity.

AIMS CEO Professor Selina Stead said that “mass bleaching events are becoming more intense and are occurring with more frequency”.

“The future of the world’s coral reefs relies on strong greenhouse gas emissions reduction,” Stead said.

Managing local pressures and helping the reefs to “adapt to and recover from the impacts of climate change” was also important, she added.

According to UNESCO, which has classified the Great Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site, the ecosystem is home to the world’s largest collection of coral reefs, including 400 types of coral.

It is also home to 1,500 species of fish, 4,000 types of mollusc, 240 species of birds, as well as species such as the dugong and the large green turtle, according to UNESCO.

While United Nations experts say the Great Barrier Reef should be included among the World Heritage Sites that are classified as “in danger”, the Australian government has lobbied to keep it off the endangered list, fearing it could affect the billions of dollars in tourism revenue it generates annually.

In a report released last week, Australia’s Climate Change Authority said that opportunities to protect the Great Barrier Reef from climate change include major fossil-fuel exporting countries adopting low- and zero-emission alternatives and stronger action on climate pollutants, such as methane, which “contribute most to near-term climate warming”.

But Australia remains a major exporter of fossil fuels, including coal from the controversial Adani coal mine, which is shipped out past the Great Barrier Reef.

The authority’s report also noted that some 93 percent of the excess heat in the atmosphere has been absorbed by the world’s oceans, and that 2024 ocean temperatures surpassed the previous record set in 2023.

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Getty Images