Coroner calls for change in regulations following tragic death of teenager after speedboat crash

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A coroner has said he will call for a change in regulations of high-speed thrill boat rides after fatal speedboat crash was an ‘accident waiting to happen’.

Assistant coroner, Henry Charles, has today said that he will write to the Secretary of State for Transport in a bid to overhaul regulations of high-speed thrill rides. This comes following the inquest into the death of 15-year-old, Emily Lewis, who died after a speedboat crashed into a navigation buoy.

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The teenager suffered fatal injuries after the rigid inflatable boat (Rib) Seadogz collided with a 4.5m high buoy in Southampton Water on August 22 2020.

A post mortem found that Emily died as a result of upper abdominal injuries caused by her being thrown forward from the bench seat she was sitting on when the Rib collided with the buoy.

An inquest has heard how the boat involved in the incident where Emily Lewis died, had been involved in three previous incidents.An inquest has heard how the boat involved in the incident where Emily Lewis died, had been involved in three previous incidents.
An inquest has heard how the boat involved in the incident where Emily Lewis died, had been involved in three previous incidents. | PA/Hampshire Police

At the inquest, in Winchester, Mr Charles pointed to the lack of visibility for the skipper from the helm which was based at the rear of the craft and the fact that the skipper was operating the Rib alone without an additional crew member to keep watch. He said this went against the recommendations of the Small Commercial Vessels (SCV) Code.

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He said: “The skipper lost positional awareness in the moments before the accident. This was most likely due to a combination of being desensitised to the risks of the high-speed Rib operations and high mental workload of operating Seadogz alone and in the vicinity of other marine assets.”

Further issues highlighted in the inquest included inappropriate seating and handholds used on the boat to help passengers brace and avoid injury.

The inquest also heard that Seadogz had previously been involved in three similar accidents and Mr Charles said lessons had not been learned, quoting the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB).

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He said that the fatal collision in August, 2020, were ‘an accident waiting to happen’ and there was a ‘patchwork’ of regulations for the maritime industry that was ‘complex and subject to interpretation.’

He explained that for his report to prevent future deaths, he would be writing to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) and the Secretary of State for Transport and other regulatory agencies.

Mr Charles said the MAIB had raised concerns that the sector lacked ‘appropriate standards and oversight’ despite previous fatal incidents.

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He continued: “It is perhaps startling that it is not until next year that a consultation document to review the SCV regulations will be issued with no clear evidence on when it will be concluded and regulations revised.

“That leaves the MAIB recommendations unanswered and not implemented.”

Dominique Smith, counsel for Emily’s family, urged the coroner to return a conclusion of unlawful killing.

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She said that the skipper’s conduct ‘falls squarely into the realms of jaw-dropping, exceptionally bad negligence from the start of Emily’s journey on the Rib that day to the end.’

Michael Lawrence, 55, who was driving the boat, was found not guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence, but guilty of failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to proceed at a safe speed.

Michael Howley, 52, the owner of the now defunct Seadogz which ran the boat trips, was convicted of not operating the boat safely.

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They were both sentenced at Winchester Crown Court in March 2023 to 18 weeks in custody suspended for two years, ordered to complete 125 hours of community service and pay £1,000 of court costs.

After the hearing, Emily’s parents, Simon and Nikki, and sister Amy, said: “We are disappointed that the coroner did not come to a conclusion of unlawful killing but we appreciate his narrative describes the appalling events of August 22 2020 in great detail.

“Mr Lawrence has never truly faced justice for his actions and once again he has failed to properly accept and acknowledge his role in the death of our beloved daughter, Emily.

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“We are, however, encouraged that the coroner has identified lessons to be learned to prevent something like this happening again.

“In the coroner’s own words, he said Emily’s death ‘was not only a tragedy to you, I think it was a tragedy for society’.

“Nothing can bring our Emily back. We miss her every day.

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Captain Emma Tiller, MAIB investigator, told the hearing that the Rib, which was fully certified, had been carrying out a “thrill” ride for the 11 passengers at speeds in excess of 40 knots.

She said that the route had involved making close passes of buoys as well as crossing the wake of the Red Falcon ferry five times. It was shortly after the fifth pass of the Isle of Wight ferry that the Rib crashed into the North West Netley buoy at a speed of 38.4 knots.

The hearing was told that Lawrence had 14 seconds to spot the buoy but had not done so and failed to take avoiding action.

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