Emily Lewis death: Fatal speedboat crash skipper did nothing to help, trial hears

The mother of a 15-year-old girl who was killed in a speedboat crash said the boat's skipper "did nothing to help" her family despite passengers' screams, a trial has heard.

Emily Lewis suffered "unsurvivable" injuries when the rigid inflatable boat (RIB) hit a buoy at 36.8 knots in Southampton Water on 22 August 2020.

Her mother Nikki Lewis booked the ride with her husband and two daughters.

Boat skipper Michael Lawrence denies manslaughter by gross negligence.

In a statement read at Winchester Crown Court, Mrs Lewis said Mr Lawrence's safety briefing was "not as professional" as one given during a previous trip, describing it as "quite wishy-washy, not in-depth".

She added: "I thought he was going too fast in comparison to the one we went on before. I didn't feel safe in the bucket seat."

Describing the aftermath of the crash, she said: "The next thing I know is Amy screaming. I shot forward at an angle. I was between the seats, my arm broken.

"I looked for Emily. She was on the floor next to me. 'OMG, she is blue'. Amy was screaming: 'Help my sister. Help my sister'."

Mrs Lewis said Mr Lawrence did not go to the aid of passengers and another passenger helped Emily on to some seats.

She said: "Everyone was screaming at him. By the time he walked back from the front, everyone on the boat was helping each other. The skipper didn't do anything for me and my family."

Another speedboat arrived and the passengers prioritised who should be transferred to it, with Mr Lawrence placing Emily on the second boat, Mrs Lewis said.

The court heard Amy Lewis, who was 18 at the time, was "angry" at Lawrence because she said he was stepping over people and not helping passengers.

In a statement read in court, she added: "There wasn't any urgency to help anyone."

She continued: "Emily - she had got to the point where she turned blue. Everyone else was concerned, not him."

Mr Lawrence, of Blackfield, New Forest, Hampshire, also denies charges of failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to proceed at a safe speed.

Michael Howley, 52, the owner of Seadogz - the company that operated the boat trip, is also on trial accused of not operating the boat safely. He denies the charge.

The trial continues.

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