A coroner has said he will write to the Secretary of State for Transport to request a review of regulations on high-speed rides following the inquest into the death of a 15-year-old girl after a outboard crashed into a navigation buoy.

Emily Lewis was fatally injured after the Seadogz Rigid Inflatable Boat (Rib) collided with a 4.5m high buoy at Southampton Water on August 22, 2020, with a number of other passengers seriously injured. wounded.

An autopsy revealed that she died from injuries to her upper abdomen caused by being thrown forward from the bench seat she was sitting on when the Rib collided with the buoy.

At the Winchester inquest, Deputy Coroner Henry Charles recorded a narrative conclusion which highlighted the issues raised by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) in its investigation into the accident.

The coroner highlighted the lack of visibility of the skipper from the helm which was based at the rear of the craft and the fact that the skipper was driving the Rib alone without an additional crew member to keep watch.

He said this went against the recommendations of the Small Commercial Vessel (SCV) Code.

Mr Charles said: “The skipper lost awareness of his position moments before the accident. This was likely due to a combination of desensitization to the risks of the Rib’s high-speed operations and the high mental workload of operating Seadogz alone and in close proximity to other maritime assets.

Other issues highlighted included inappropriate seating and handles used on the Rib to help passengers brace themselves and avoid injury, as well as the company’s risk assessment which Mr Charles called “superficial and generic”.

The investigation found Seadogz had been involved in three previous similar accidents from which Mr Charles said lessons had not been learned, citing the MAIB.

He added that the events of August 22, 2020 were “an accident waiting to happen.”

Mr Charles said there was a “patchwork” of regulations for the maritime industry which was “complex and open to interpretation”.

He explained that for his report to prevent future deaths he would write 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 about the lack of “proper standards and oversight” in the sector despite previous fatal incidents.

He said: “It is perhaps surprising that it will only be next year that a consultation paper to review the SCV regulations will be published without any clear indication of when it will be concluded and the regulations revised .

“This leaves the MAIB’s recommendations unanswered and unimplemented. »

Dominique Smith, the lawyer for Emily’s family, had urged the coroner to conclude that the killing was unlawful.

She said: “We say that the captain’s conduct fell squarely into the realm of breathtaking negligence and exceptional seriousness from the start of Emily’s journey on the Rib that day until the end .”

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

Michael Howley, 52, owner of the now-defunct Seadogz, which operated the boat tours, was found guilty of failing to operate the boat safely.

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

Emily’s parents Simon and Nikki, as well as her sister Amy, said in a statement after the hearing: “We are disappointed that the coroner has not reached a conclusion of unlawful killing, but we appreciate that his account describes the terrible events of August 22, 2020 in great detail. detail.

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

“However, we are encouraged that the coroner has identified lessons to be learned to prevent such a situation from happening again.

“In the coroner’s own words, he said Emily’s death ‘wasn’t just a tragedy for you, I think it was a tragedy for society’.”

They said they were “looking forward” to the response from the Transport Secretary.

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

“We are comforted to know that his death is meaningless and we are confident that another family like ours will not experience the same tragedy as us.”

MAIB investigator Captain Emma Tiller told the hearing the fully certified Rib had provided a “thrill-inducing” journey for all 11 passengers at speeds in excess of 40 knots.

Cpt Tiller said the route 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 passage 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 Lawrence had 14 seconds to spot the buoy but did not do so and took no action to avoid it.

A DfT spokesperson said: “This is a tragic incident and our thoughts remain with Emily’s loved ones.

“The Transport Secretary will await the coroner’s letter and will respond appropriately in due course.”