Dad of schoolgirl crushed to death in horror speedboat accident pays heartbreaking tribute

The heartbroken father of a schoolgirl who died in a speedboat crash has spoken of his devastation at losing his “kind and thoughtful “ daughter “with an amazing ability to make people feel loved”.

Simon Lewis told the into the death of his daughter Emily that her death had been “nothing short of devastating,” adding that one should never expect to outlive their children.

Emily Lewis, 15, suffered fatal injuries after a speedboat the Lewis family were on ploughed straight into a metal buoy floating in the water. She suffered unsurvivable chest injuries as she was crushed against a metal handle in the crash.

Mr Lewis and his wife Nikki went for the speedboat ride with their daughters Emily and Amy on a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) on Southampton Water, on August 22 in 2020 as a treat.

But their boat ride turned into a nightmare when the watercraft, driven by Michael Lawrence, smashed into a 4.5-metre-tall buoy while they were travelling at 36.6kts (42mph). A total of 11 passengers were treated at hospital, with Mrs Lewis suffering a broken wrist, Amy suffering a broken arm, the inquest at Winchester Coroners Court heard.

Tragically Emily suffered catastrophic chest injuries in the crash and she died at Southampton General Hospital. Today Mr Lewis paid tribute to his daughter, who he said was a “clever girl” who was “fierce” when sticking up for her “loved ones”.

"Emily was a very kind and thoughtful person with an amazing ability to make people feel loved which transcended her young age," he said. "Emily was incredibly creative and decorated her room in her own style and she loved music, and loved to discover music and share with us as a family."

He described his daughter's death as “nothing short of devastating” and spoke of how he and his family, from Park Gate, near Southampton, will never get to see where her “forthright views and conviction” will take her in the . "We don't get to see her grow," he said.

Her sister, Amy, was 18 years old at the time of the tragic incident. "I just think it's important that everyone maybe understands how emotionally intelligent and caring and kind she was - and the difference she made to my life,” she told the inquest.

"I never imagined that I wouldn't be able to have a sister with me for the rest of my life. It's deeply sad without her and I miss her."

The inquest has highlighted a range of concerns, saying safety procedures were not adhered to by boating company Seadogz RIB Charter Limited which was in charge of the trip. An investigation by the Maritime Accident Investigation Board (MIAB) found several safety issues, the inquest heard.

Captain Emma Tiller - who led the investigation - said the skipper, Mr Lawrence, may have “lost positional awareness in the moments before the accident” and became “desensitised to the risks of high-speed RIB operations”.

Capt Tiller said the skipper was dealing with a “high mental workload” at the time of the accident due to operating the vessel “alone at high speed near other marine assets”.

The inspector highlighted how it was found Emily and her family should not have been assigned their seats in the vessel due to their “physical size and dimensions” which meant they were “unable to effectively brace themselves while using the seat”.

"The bench seat did not represent a safe and secure location for Emily, her mother and sister as none of them were able to put their feet on the RIB's deck at the same time as having their backs against the seat's backrest," she said.

Capt Tiller, who has carried out some 30 investigations for the Maritime Accident Investigation Board said the outcome may have been different if Mr Laurence followed the guidance, set out in Active marine guidance notes (MGN). She added this was because he could have refused the trip to her family, or adjusted the voyage style to “accommodate their reduced ability to maintain postural stability”.

Capt Tiller said the “high-speed” of the ride - designed to thrill passengers - could have minimised participants' ability to “alert the skipper to an impending hazard”.

Referring to the MAIB report, she said: "The decision to operate Seadogz at high speed in the vicinity of the outbound Red Falcon significantly reduced the time its skipper had to see the North-West Netley buoy in the period before the accident.

"Nonetheless, given the RIB's manoeuvrability, the 14 seconds when the buoy would have been visible before the impact should have still provided the skipper with sufficient time to take avoiding action had he seen the buoy early enough."

Henry Charles, assistant coroner for Hampshire, Portsmouth and Southampton, today said he may issue a warning in light of the evidence.

"It will be as no surprise that I have concerns arising from what I have read and heard today about the provisions of safety," he said.

Skipper Mr Lawrence - nicknamed Mr Safe - was acquitted of gross negligence manslaughter at a trial in 2023 but was convicted of failing to maintain a proper lookout and a safe speed. The then 55-year-old was given an 18 week suspended sentence.