THE father of a schoolgirl killed in a horror boat crash in Southampton water told jurors he initially thought his daughter had just been 'very winded'.
Winchester Crown Court heard how Emily Lewis, 15, was killed on August 22, 2020 when the RIB she and her family had been travelling on collided with a buoy.
A jury was told she was rushed to Southampton General Hospital but doctors told her family there was nothing they could do and the decision was made to switch off her life support.
UPDATE: Skipper found not guilty of manslaughter after fatal speedboat crash
Skipper Michael Lawrence, and the owner of Seadogz which owned the boat, Michael Howley, are on trial accused over her death.
Emily's father, Simon Lewis told jurors he had purchased tickets on the RIB through the company Seadogz as a treat.
But after Lawrence made several high-speed manoeuvres - including moving over the wash of other vessels - the boat crashed into the buoy, the court heard.
READ MORE: Emily Lewis: Skipper 'took selfie' before speedboat crash
He said the buoy was "dead ahead" and that there was around 15 to 20 seconds where the boat was moving straight towards it.
He said: "I was thrown forward very violently. I hit my face. I squashed the seat in front.
"I don't know whether I got knocked out or not."
He added that Emily was in front of her seat on the floor after the crash.
"I squatted down as best I could. I thought she had, like me, been very winded.
"[I was] trying to make sure that she was as calm as she could be.
"It feels like we had been there for a lot longer than we actually were."
Emily was taken by ambulance to hospital where her parents were told she was "a very poorly little girl".
Lawrence, 55, of Hartsgrove Avenue, Blackfield, denies manslaughter by gross negligence, failing to maintain a proper lookout and failing to proceed at a safe speed.
Howley, 52, of Stopples Lane, Hordle, denies failing to take all reasonable steps to ensure the RIB was operated in a safe manner.
READ MORE: Trial opens over fatal boat crash in Southampton
Opening the trial, prosecuting, Christine Agnew KC said the skipper, Lawrence, "appears not to have seen" the buoy.
She added that his actions "fell far below that of a competent skipper".
She told the court how Lawrence had told police that his facemask had covered his eyes before the crash, obstructing his vision.
Ms Agnew KC told jurors: "This was to be a high thrills ride.
"Tragically it was both a high thrills and ultimately an extremely dangerous ride which ended with the death of Emily.
"She died from internal injuries she sustained by being crushed against the metal handle immediately in front of her when the boat crashed head on into a buoy... which Michael Lawrence appears not to have seen.
"Perhaps because he wasn’t paying attention and was distracted, or because he was planning to take a sharp turn around it and because he wasn’t paying close enough attention, he miscalculated the turn.
"In either event, the prosecution say his actions that day fell far below those of a competent skipper."
Two other passengers ended up in the water and others were seriously injured.
Defending Lawrence, Karim Khalil KC said he "did not travel at an improper speed, and added: "Everybody knew that Mr Lawrence could be trusted".
Howley was not at work that day. James Newton-Price KC said Howley "did what he reasonably could to make them (the RIBs) safe".
(Proceeding)
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