A distraught Surbiton father whose deckhand son drowned after failing overboard from passenger ferry has expressed sadness over lack of safety regulations.
Stephen Woollacott’s 19-year-old son Ben died trying to untie mooring ropes onboard the Thames Woolwich ferry, Ernest Bevin, in August last year. An internal investigation of safety was carried out by ferry operator Serco Limited Marine Services, in advance of a damning report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB),
The report, published exactly a year after Ben’s funeral, said there was a “lack of suitable oversight” of the unmooring operation on board the boat. It also identified “unseamanlike practices” onboard, including senior staff setting bad examples and the incorrect wearing of lifejackets. Mr Woollacott, who runs cruise boat Cruise London, said the family was not pointing fingers but said it was a shame the investigation happened after his son’s death. He has not spoken to Serco but said he planned to contact the company when he has had time to study the report in full.
A spokesman for Serco said additional safety measure had been put in place to address unmooring procedure and river access.
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