The family of a 15-year-old girl killed in a speedboat crash have said they can only now start grieving after a coroner called for changes to maritime regulations.

Emily Lewis, from Park Gate, died from an upper abdominal injury when the thrill ride boat she was in crashed into a buoy at 36.6 knots in a crash in Southampton Water in August 2020.

The skipper and operator were previously cleared of manslaughter but convicted of maritime offences.

Emily’s parents Simon and Nikki Lewis and older sister Amy outside Winchester Coroners' Court. (Image: Newsquest) But an inquest in Winchester heard changes recommended by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) had gone "unanswered".

Coroner Henry Charles said Emily's death was “a tragedy to society” although ruled out concluding it was unlawful.

He will now write to the transport secretary calling for changes to “patchwork” regulations.

In an emotional tribute, Emily's family said she loved horse riding and sharing music with them all every Sunday.

Speaking to the Echo, her dad Simon said: “That is what’s hard and what we miss.

“We don’t get to do those things anymore. We are not able to see her grow and become whoever she was going to be.

“For the last four years we have been on hold, waiting for the criminal court case, and the inquest.

"This is the first time we can focus on Emily and each other and we can start the grieving process.”

Emily's family wept in court when the coroner ruled out unlawful killing as his conclusion.

But Simon added: “The positive to come out of today is the prevention of deaths report, and it is fantastic. This is what we need.

“The biggest problem with these vessels and how they work is that the regulation is woolly at best, and patchwork is the best way to describe it.

“The only way to affect that change is to talk to your MP but they have their own agendas.

“That’s why it’s really good the coroner will be writing to the transport secretary and the other bodies because they are the ones who need to listen.”

The speedboat she was on, operated by Seadogz, collided with the buoy after the skipper failed to realise how close it was to the vessel.

Skipper Michael Lawrence, 55, Hartsgrove Avenue, Blackfield, was cleared of manslaughter at a trial.

But he was handed a suspended sentence for failing to maintain a proper lookout and a safe speed during the crash.

The inquest heard he did not realise how close the buoy was - but it was visible for 14 seconds.

The coroner pointed to the lack of visibility for the skipper from the helm, which was based at the rear of the craft, and the fact that the skipper was operating the Rib alone without an additional crew member to keep watch.

Mr Charles said this went against the recommendations of the Small Commercial Vessels (SCV) Code.

Michael Howley, 52, of Deer Park Close, New Milton, who owned Seadogz, was convicted of failing to secure that a ship is operated in a safe manner.

The inquest heard that Seadogz had been involved in three previous similar accidents from which Mr Charles said lessons had not been learned.

Quoting the MAIB, he said the tragedy was “an accident waiting to happen”.

Mr Charles concluded by confirming that he will be writing to transport secretary Louise Haigh, the Maritime and Coastguard Association, and the Royal Yacht Association with the findings from the MAIB.

Sister pays tribute

Emily's sister Amy said her sibling was “the yin to my yang” and is looking forward to a future where she can celebrate her “best friend”.

Amy said: “We’ve had to get over the trauma before we could process what happened - something bad happened, and Emily is dead - that’s how it feels.

"It’s hard to get to the point where you’re able to have enough space to grieve as all I can think about is her.

“We need to focus on finding our feet again as we have been drowning and trying to find the surface, then being pulled back under.

“I’m hoping there is going to be more time to pause and think about how great Emily was.”

Amy recalled how her sister loved horse riding and used to take her along.

She said: "I was scared of the horses, but there Emily was, this tiny little thing, riding the horses, finding a hose and dragging it across a field for them."

Emily also made a positive impact on people as well as animals.

Mum Nikki added: “She was amazing with people. She was very strong in her opinions and she stuck by them.

“Every Sunday was like a vigil in our house; we would all gather together with our Spotify and share music.”

In a statement read out after the inquest, Emily's family said that they awaited the response from the transport secretary “with interest”.

They added: “Nothing can bring our Emily back. We miss her every day.

“We take solace in knowing that her death is not meaningless and we are confident that another family like ours will not go through the same tragedy as we did.”