Man and daughter killed in Padstow speedboat accident

A 51-year-old man and his eight-year-old daughter were killed and four of their relatives injured when they were thrown from a speedboat during a family holiday in Padstowe yesterday.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the family from London were on holiday in Cornwall over the Bank Holiday weekend when the accident happened in the Camel Estuary near Padstow. ITV News Reporter Martha Fairlie reports.

A 39-year-old woman, a four-year-old boy and two girls aged 10 and 12 were airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth, where they are being treated for "a range of injuries, some of which are life changing", police said.

Detective Superintendent James Thomas Colwell of Devon and Cornwall Police said that witnesses raised the alarm to the incident.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said in a statement earlier:

Matt Pavitt, the coastguard sector manager for Coastguard reported that the speedboat was privately owned by the family. The name 'Milly' was on the side of the boat.

He added that the injured four were "badly shaken up" and that the man and daughter had died before the ambulance had arrived.

Yesterday afternoon a press officer for the MCA told ITV News that no other people were in the water. "It is a popular area for speedboats. It has been a busy Bank Holiday", Jo Rawlings said.

She added that the search and rescue operation was undertaken by RNLI lifeboats from Rock and Padstow, Cornwall, and helicopters from RNAS Culdrose, Cornwall and RMB Chivenor, Devon, plus three coastguard rescue teams from Polzeath, St Merryn and Newquay, all Cornwall.

The force has launched an investigation and the boat, which was owned by the family, has been taken away for examination.