Emily Lewis Wiki – Emily Lewis Biography

The skipper of a speedboat who struck a 15-foot buoy in an accident that killed a 15-year-old passenger Emily Lewis on board has been acquitted of manslaughter after he told the court he felt “dizzy” and momentarily lost his vision. . Michael Lawrence said he felt like he couldn’t see for a “split second” before driving straight into the fixed metal buoy that killed Emily Lewis on Southampton Water in 2020.

Jurors at Winchester Crown Court heard that the 55-year-old man, who took a selfie during the journey, drove straight into the buoy, which they were told would have been visible for 14 seconds, killing the teenager and leaving other passengers seriously injured. Lawrence was acquitted of manslaughter but found guilty of failing to maintain proper lookout and maintaining a safe speed after a jury deliberated for around 12 hours.

He will be sentenced on the two security charges at a later date. The jury took nearly 18 hours to convict Michael Howley, 52, the owner of Seadogz, the company that operated the boat trip, for failing to operate the boat safely. Emily suffered ‘irresistible’ chest injuries when she was crushed against a metal handle on the ride with her sister and her parents.

Nikki and her husband Simon Lewis had taken her daughters Emily and Amy on the Seadogz Ltd speedboat ride in Southampton Water, Hants, on 22 August 2020 as a post-lockdown ‘treat’. A total of 11 passengers were treated at the hospital. Mrs. Lewis suffered a broken wrist, Amy suffered a broken arm, and Emily died later that day from her chest injuries. Lawrence claimed that a Covid mask blew up and blocked his view. He later changed his story to say that he suffered vision loss.

Emily Lewis Age

The age of Emily Lewis was just 15 years.

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Emily Lewis cause of death

However, prosecutors alleged that his driving was “extremely dangerous” and that his actions were “really exceptionally wrong.” Ms Lewis previously described the pre-trip security briefing to court as ‘sensitive’ and ‘not as professional’ as ones she had had before. Mr Lewis described the ride as “violent”, while Ms Lewis said Lawrence “did nothing to help her daughter” after the accident as she and her daughter Amy yelled for help.

The court previously heard Lawrence walking up and down the boat after the accident talking on the phone, stepping over injured passengers whom he failed to help. He told the court that he had been in shock. Opening the case, prosecutor Christine Agnew KC said: “This was going to be a very exciting ride.” “Tragically, it was an emotional and ultimately extremely dangerous journey that ended in Emily’s death.

She died from the internal injuries she sustained from her being crushed against the metal handle just in front of her as the ship crashed head-on into a buoy…which Michael Lawrence seems not to have seen. Perhaps because he wasn’t paying attention and was distracted, or because he planned to make a sharp turn and wasn’t paying enough attention, he misjudged the turn. “Lawrence was heard to say on several occasions, both in the day and later, that the face mask he had been wearing had burst and covered his eyes, causing him to be temporarily blinded.” She added that Lawrence changed his account in the days that followed.

Despite, or perhaps even because of, his experience, he took risks he shouldn’t have taken and failed to observe basic safety practices while captaining the RIB when only he was responsible for safety and had a duty of care to others. 11. people on board,’ he said. “The Crown’s case is that Lawrence’s actions that August afternoon were truly exceptionally wrong, grossly negligent, and caused Emily’s death.”

Speaking of Seadogz Rib Charter Ltd owner Howley, Ms Agnew KC said: “Howley, by failing to ensure that his RIB was operated safely, i.e. by not having policies and procedures in place that adequately protected passengers, He’s also guilty.” of a crime, albeit less serious. The court heard that neither Lawrence nor Howley ‘appear to have been aware’ of widely touted guidance on ‘Safety of Passengers on High Speed Small Commercial Vessels and Travel Experience’, something which should have been ‘highly relevant’.

The 60-minute RIB ride was billed as ‘adrenaline-packed’ and would involve ‘speed’ and ‘some of the signature tight turns, jumps and wake rides Seadogz have become known for’. Lawrence had qualifications including an Advanced Powerboat Course, an Advanced Powerboat Instructor Course and had served in the RNLI for 20 years, even receiving a letter of thanks from a leading RNLI figure after his role as Commander in the scene in an extensive search for a missing ferry passenger.

On the trip, Emily was placed in the middle due to her age and the fact that she was the smallest on board. Her feet couldn’t touch the ground and there were no seat belts. The court heard that the Lewis family felt that Lawrence “took corners very sharply and felt ‘uncomfortable and unsafe’ as he drove ‘too fast’, reaching speeds of up to 47.8 knots (55 mph).

Ms Agnew KC said Emily suffered brain damage and her family was told it was “unlikely she would survive” before they made the “unspeakably difficult decision to turn off her life support machine”. Describing the aftermath, Amy told the court that her dying sister said, “I just want to go home, I just want to go home” as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She said that she later realized Emily was going to die when her father started crying at the hospital like “daddy doesn’t cry”.

The court heard after the incident that Lawrence told several people, including his wife Karen, that his mask had blown over his eyes. However, he later gave conflicting accounts and recanted, the jury was told. The court heard Lawrence “repeatedly” tell lifeguards that the wind had “blown his face mask over his eyes” and obstructed his view and claimed he was only traveling at 25 knots. Testifying, Lawrence defended the speed at which he was traveling and told the jury that he had “become dizzy” and momentarily lost his vision “like a sneeze.”

He said: ‘I didn’t think anything he was doing was unsafe.’ Lawrence broke down as he said: “I don’t remember seeing the buoy and I don’t know what caused it, sorry.” ‘All I can remember is turning around and righting the boat and feeling a little dizzy maybe. Then I lost my vision, then it came back. ‘I don’t know how to explain it, I referred to it as [the duration of] a sneeze. It was a split second. I don’t know if I blinked, and when my vision cleared, the buoy was right in front of us.

‘As soon as I saw the buoy my thought was to push the throttle back, which should stop the boat. When I pulled back on the throttle I heard a thud, that’s all I can remember. “I certainly wouldn’t put the passengers at risk and I wouldn’t want to put myself at risk, but I wouldn’t want to put the passengers at risk.

‘I tried to take a ride that was what they expected and wanted and within the limits of the boat and within the limits of my abilities. I’ve never headed for a buoy and turned at the last minute, I don’t think it’s safe. Lawrence told the court that his ‘brain was scrambled’ and he has hazy memories of the immediate aftermath of the accident. When Howley testified, he said that precautions were always taken to protect passengers and that he had prepared a risk assessment to meet the requirements of insurance companies.Read More…..