Michael Lawrence and Michael Howley charged over Marchwood RIB boat crash which claimed the life of Emily Lewis

TWO men have been charged over a boat crash at Marchwood which resulted in the death of a 15-year-old girl.

The driver of the rigid inflatable boat, Michael Lawrence (54), has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

Meanwhile, Michael Howley (51) – the owner of the company which operated the boat trips – faces a matter of failing to take all reasonable steps to secure that the boat was operated in a safe manner.

Both men are due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on 2nd February, CPS added.

A spokesperson for CPS said: "The CPS reminds all concerned that criminal proceedings against these defendants are active and that they have the right to a fair trial.

"It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice proceedings."

The charges relate to an incident on 22nd September 2020, which involved a RIB with up to 11 people aboard.

It happened at Southampton Water, at a point between Hythe pier and Netley Abbey, and caused the death of Emily Lewis.

An inquest into her death heard Emily, from Park Gate near Southampton, died of an upper abdominal injury.

In a statement, her family said: "We are all in shock that our beautiful daughter and sister is no longer with us, and words just don’t seem available to express our deep sense of loss."