Padstow speedboat tragedy investigators confirm driver was not wearing engine 'kill cord'

Authorities investigating the tragic speedboat accident that killed Nick Milligan and his daughter Emily in Padstow, have confirmed that the driver of the boat had not been wearing the safety cord that would have cut the engine and possibly saved their lives.

Mr Milligan, a Sky television executive, and his eight-year-old daughter died and four other members of the family were injured by the circling boat after they appear to have been flipped from the out of control vessel into the water.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said the unnamed driver was not using the boat's fitted kill cord which attaches the driver to the vessel. The use of the cord is not enforced by law.

The MAIB's intitial report confirms that "as the boat circled, it ran over the family in the water a number of times".

Mr Milligan's wife Victoria has had her left leg amputated below the knee. Both she and the Milligan's four-year-old son, Kit will require further surgery. They remain in Plymouth's Derriford Hospital.

The two elder daughters, Amber and Olivia received only minor injuries.

Investigators have not yet concluded why the family were thrown into the water.  Their investigations continue.

The family who own a home in Daymer Bay near Padstow, said in a statement: "We are grateful for the continued support of our family and friends and the good wishes we have received from the public."