A 14-year-old schoolboy on a world voyage with his family died after being struck by the propellers of a fast-moving, unlicensed speedboat while snorkelling in the South Pacific, an inquest has heard.
Edward Jarman, known as Eddie to his family, was hit in the head and chest by a three-tonne, semi-rigid inflatable boat in Mo'orea Bay, near Tahiti in French Polynesia, on August 9, 2020. The British-Polish teenager had been on a round-the-world trip with his family and had only a few months left of their adventures before returning to the UK.
Eddie had been snorkelling near his family's anchored boat facing the beach when he was hit by a driver, a local lagoon guide, who had rented a vessel more than five metres long for the day. At Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton, area coroner Joseph Turner said Eddie was taken to shore and attempts were made to resuscitate him, but his injuries were likely to be immediately fatal and non-survivable.
Conflicting Evidence on Speed and Alcohol
Conflicting evidence was heard over the speed of the boat. Eddie's father, Harry Jarman, told local police he saw the man and a woman 'coming at full speed behind us' and the driver was 'practically skimming' above the water. Mr Jarman said he thought the driver was going 'too fast and close', adding: 'I turned around thinking he's crazy.' However, the driver told officers he was going under the 20-knot speed limit and argued he had adjusted his speed while piloting in the channel.
The coroner concluded it was likely the boat was travelling within the speed limit but noted: 'In other parts of the world, in proximity to that moored vessel and the beach would not have a speed limit of 20 knots, but that was the speed limit in place, at that place, at that time.'
Legal Battle for Justice
The inquest on Tuesday heard how Eddie's family had been 'fighting for justice for a long and painful four years'. An involuntary manslaughter investigation was launched by local police following the incident, but a bid from a public prosecutor and the family to bring charges was refused by the investigating judge. A subsequent appeal asked the initial judge to reconsider, but they continued to take the view there was not a 'realistic prospect of conviction because of the totality of evidence', the coroner said. A further appeal to a higher court also agreed with the decision of the first judge. A further legal challenge to a higher court in Paris under the French legal system was not pursued by the family at this time, having been told they had 'limited prospect of success'.
Alcohol Concerns
Both the driver and his passenger confirmed before the incident that they had been for lunch and shared a bottle of wine, the inquest heard. The driver also confirmed he had been drinking alcohol the day before, having a party with other instructors for the end of summer camp season. However, toxicology samples taken from the driver on the day of the incident came back clear more than a month later, with the family questioning the results.
Eddie's mother, Barbara Genda, told the coroner: 'To me there was no alcohol at all in results, no trace, it's pretty impossible.' In his summary of findings, coroner Turner also said: 'The evidence is clear the boat driver and his companion had been up to probably the early hours of the night before, they had just come from lunch where they had consumed wine. Samples taken proved negative for alcohol and drugs, it is difficult for me to reconcile that evidence. It does seem more probable than not there would have been some alcohol in his system at the time from his own evidence.'
However, the coroner added that the driver of the boat knew the area very well and was experienced driving that type of vessel. Mr Turner told Eddie's parents he was unable to reach a conclusion of unlawful killing as the circumstances of the driver did not meet all six elements to meet that threshold, instead returning a narrative conclusion. He gave the court's sincere condolences for the 'unimaginable tragic loss of your young son'.
Family's Tribute and Charity
At the time of Eddie's death, his family set up a crowdfunder for £100,000 and launched a young musicians' charity in his memory. On August 12, Eddie's mother wrote for the fundraiser: 'Eddie loved music more than anything, he often said that he could not imagine living without music, either playing it or listening to it. In his memory let other children enjoy music as much as he has in his short but wonderful life.' It is understood that Eddie was buried where he grew up in the West Sussex village of West Hoathly.
