Wednesday July 20, 2011 at 11:27pm
An 11- year- old girl was killed in an accident on 11 September 2010 at the Prince Club Water Sports Park in Bedfont, Middlesex as a result of a failure to implement safety management systems an investigation has revealed.
Mari-Simon Cronje was attending a friend’s birthday party when she was thrown forward into the back of the speed boat which was towing the yellow inflatable banana boat.
The youngster was not seen by the driver of the boat as the girl fell into the water. She suffered very serious injuries. The lacerations were caused by the propeller of the boat.
A report into the accident by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the use of safety procedures was “flawed at every level” and the Water Sports Club had not identified or controlled the risks to children taking part in the banana boat rides.
The report added, because the boat was operating without an observer, the driver was dividing his attention between looking ahead at where he was going and behind to check on the safety of the riders on the banana boat.
As a result of the tight circuit taken by the driver, he did not have sufficient opportunity to see the girl in the water, the report said.
The report added, the helmet that Marie-Simon had been issued was a grey colour making it difficult to see in the water.
The investigation found licensing requirements for commercial ski boat drivers were unclear.
The driver of the boat was a 22- yea- old man working his second summer season at the Park.
The report added there was no requirement for the driver to hold any qualifications, but seven years of experience satisfied conditions of the club’s insurers.
Mari-Simon, a pupil at Ibstock Place who lived with her family in Putney, died shortly on arrival at the West Middlesex hospital after a cardiac arrest.