UK Marine News
Coroner rules pleasure cruiser not linked to Bournemouth drownings
A coroner has ruled that the pleasure cruiser Dorset Belle was not involved in the deaths of two young people who drowned off Bournemouth beach, on the UK’s south coast, on 31 May 2023.
Joe Abbess, 17, from Southampton, and 12-year-old Sunnah Khan, from High Wycombe, died after they were caught in a rip current near the pier at the Dorset seaside resort. Eight other people were treated by paramedics at the scene.
Following the incident, Dorset Police impounded the Dorset Belle, which ran trips from Bournemouth Pier, and arrested a man in his 40s on suspicion of manslaughter. However, after consulting an expert as part of their investigation, the police determined that the boat’s movement did not contribute to the dangerous sea conditions and the man faced no further action.
An inquest into the deaths of the two schoolchildren opened in September 2024. During a pre-inquest review, coroner Rachael Griffin confirmed that the Dorset Belle was not a factor in the deaths of Joe and Sunnah. “I have ruled out the involvement of the Dorset Belle and it being a causative and contributory factor in Joe and Sunnah’s death,” Griffin says. “It would be speculative to link that boat to the deaths, but also, it’s important that within the evidence there may be reference to previous incidents. There is no evidence that the boat was previously involved in previous incidents, again that is speculative to say it was.”
Fund British Waterways urges government to stop dithering
Fund Britain’s Waterways (FBW) is concerned by the recent UK budget, which made no mention of public investment to safeguard Britain’s inland waterways, despite much talk by the government about rebuilding the country through increased public investment.
FBW, a coalition of organisations representing hundreds of thousands of users and supporters of inland waterways, says it made strong representations to the treasury that highlighted the widely acknowledged benefits that Britain’s rivers and canals provide.
“The minimum that FBW is asking for is that the new Labour government commit to reviewing future funding for all inland waterways,” said Les Etheridge, chair of FBW. “This includes the specific funding planned for the Canal & River Trust from 2027 as announced by the previous government, as it is simply insufficient.”
The increasing fragility of the 250-year-old infrastructure, combined with ever more frequent episodes of extreme weather, means there is now an urgent need to invest to save the network.
“The government must intervene to help reverse the current deterioration of Britain’s inland waterways, which is increasingly impacting businesses up and down the country,” says Etheridge. “Unless funding arrangements are reviewed and improved, we fear that Britain’s inland waterways and the many benefits they provide will be in serious jeopardy.”
THE REPORT | DEC 2024 | ISSUE 110 | 17
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