Safety warning sparked by probe into Seadogz crash in Marchwood which killed 15-year-old Emily Lewis

BOAT skippers have been warned not to compromise safety "in pursuit of a thrill", by investigators looking into a crash which caused the death of a 15-year-old girl.

The incident at Marchwood on 22nd September last year, involved the Seadogz RIB hitting a buoy concealed within Southampton Water and overturning; Emily Lewis suffered unsurvivable injuries as she was catapulted into the handrail directly in front of her seat.

There were 11 passengers onboard and two were ejected into the water, where their lifejackets inflated. The remaining passengers and the skipper suffered varying degrees of injuries, with some requiring hospital treatment.

This morning (Thursday), the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said it was releasing its interim findings into the incident ahead of the potential resumption of boat pleasure rides this summer as it found "immediate lessons" needed to be learnt.

Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: "As the holiday season approaches, I want to remind operators that they also have a duty of care for their passengers, and safety should not be compromised in pursuit of a thrill.

"These rides can provide excitement, entertainment and fun, and for this reason they are popular. However, this dreadful accident saw nine people sustain very serious injuries and tragically cost the life of a young person."

MAIB said its "urgent safety considerations" were that during the Seadogz trip "the passengers became accustomed to passing close by large navigation buoys at speed" which resulted in them being "unconcerned" by the craft's approach to the buoy and they did not attempt to alert the skipper.

It added "high speed figure-of-eight turns completed during the trip increased the risk of hooking or spinning out", and the skipper "was operating single-handedly, at high speed and did not see the navigation buoy, which was directly ahead, for 10 seconds before impact".

It has recommended operators of RIBs, sports boats and other vessels carrying passengers on trips and charters should review their risk assessments and ensure they comply with safe working practices contained in the Passenger Safety on Small Commercial High Speed Craft & Experience Rides voluntary Code of Practice.

"Where an operator cannot comply with the provisions outlined in the Code of Practice, steps should be taken to mitigate against risk, and details of those measures included in the relevant operating procedures," it added.

The full MAIB investigation into the incident is ongoing.