An MP has called for a safety review after the deaths of two young people who got into difficulties in the sea off a crowded Bournemouth beach, and urged police to clarify the circumstances to end “wild speculation”.
The sightseeing boat the Dorset Belle appeared to be at the centre of the investigation into Wednesday’s incident in which 10 people were rescued from the sea.
A 12-year-old girl from Buckinghamshire and a 17-year-old boy from Southampton were taken to hospital where they were pronounced dead. The other eight were treated by paramedics at the scene.
A man in his 40s, who was “on the water” at the time, was arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and released under investigation on Thursday while police continued their inquiries.
The 49-year-old passenger boat Dorset Belle, which can accommodate up to 80 people, remains at anchor at Poole harbour, guarded by a police van. Dorset police have declined to comment on any investigation into the vessel, or to say if any vessel was involved.
The Dorset Belle “was not licensed” by the local authority, it emerged on Friday afternoon. A spokesperson for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council told the PA news agency: “We do not license this boat.”
This comes despite the authority’s website stating: “Any person who wishes to be in charge or navigate a pleasure boat/vessel, including Poole harbour and Christchurch harbour, for the purpose of letting it out for hire to members of the public, or to be used for carrying passengers for hire, must obtain a licence from us.”
The spokesperson declined to comment on whether any other organisation licensed the vessel and referred all inquiries to Dorset police.
According to the website Marine Traffic, the Dorset Belle had visited Bournemouth pier at 4pm, minutes before the first 999 calls were made.
The force has confirmed that there was no physical contact between any of the swimmers and any vessel or jetski, and that those involved had not been jumping off the pier.
Tobias Ellwood, the Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, told PA Media: “The police are conducting their investigation. There needs to be a review of the circumstances to see whether any safety measures and protocols need to be upgraded to ensure this doesn’t happen in the future.
“I encourage Dorset police to clarify the general circumstances of this tragic accident to avoid further wild speculation and uncertainty for parents who may be cautious about going to any part of the beach, unclear of exactly what happened in this terrible incident.”
Some witnesses have suggested swimmers got caught up in a dangerous riptide.
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council’s leader, Vikki Slade, said she would be discussing safety at the pier with the Bournemouth West MP, Conor Burns, on Friday.
The local authority’s website states that all passenger-carrying boats must be issued with a licence to operate in the area. It also states that from April to October, yellow marker buoys are set out 200 metres from the low water mark to indicate that watercraft must not “go beyond 6 knots, annoy or endanger other beach users or run ashore or launch from the beach”.
The nearby Boscombe artificial reef has the speed limit all year round.
Dorset police said they were working with the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to investigate the incident.
