Devon and Cornwall police and the marine accidents body have both launched investigations after two people died in a lake in Devon when a motor boat capsized.
A man, believed to be in his 40s, and a woman in her 60s, both with disabilities, died after a boat capsized at about 1.30pm on Wednesday at Roadford Lake, near Okehampton. Their bodies were pulled out of the lake on Thursday, about 24 hours after the incident.
Six people were thrown overboard when the boat overturned. Four were rescued, including a woman in her 50s who remains in a critical condition at Derriford hospital in nearby Plymouth. The others were discharged at the scene. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said those involved were all believed to be from Devon.
The two people who died were yet to be formally identified, but specialist support officers were supporting families, Devon and Cornwall police said. The South West Lakes activity centre charity, which operates from the lake, has been closed since Wednesday afternoon.
In a statement the charity said it was “shocked and saddened by the tragic events”. “Our thoughts are very much with those affected, their families and friends,” it added.
Supt Toby Davies, from Devon and Cornwall police, said: “This has been a tragic incident in which two people have lost their lives. We continue to support all of the families involved with the deployment of specialist family liaison officers and our thoughts remain with those families at this difficult time.
“The parallel investigations will look at the circumstances surrounding the incident with the MAIB, in addition identifying ways to prevent a similar incident occurring in the future.
“These investigations have already seen liaison with HM Coroner and we would expect this to progress further during the next week.”
A MAIB spokesperson said: “Our investigation is in its early stages and our current focus is on gathering as much evidence as possible.
“This will include everything from the events on the day through to the boat’s design and construction.
“We are carrying out a safety investigation that will seek to establish the circumstances and causes of the accident and identify ways of preventing a similar accident occurring in the future.
“All lines of inquiry are open and being examined.
“It is too early in the investigation to say anything more about this, but we can reassure everyone that if we do identify the need for urgent safety messages, these will be issued without delay.”
