Police probing the deaths of two youngsters rescued from Bournemouth’s water are at the boat’s quayside.
Wednesday, a 12-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy drowned following an incident involving a total of 10 swimmers.
The Dorset Belle is anchored at Cobb’s Quay in Poole Harbour, with a police vehicle nearby.
Dorset Police stated that it had no comment.
The Marine Traffic website indicates that Dorset Belle docked at Bournemouth Pier, where the incident occurred, at 16:00 BST.
The vessel departs from the pier for regular tours of Bournemouth and the Dorset Coast.
According to the vessel’s website, it was purpose-built as a local passenger craft that could withstand “occasionally challenging swell conditions encountered at local piers.”
The Bournemouth, Christchurch, and Poole (BCP) Council website states that all passenger-carrying vessels must be licenced.
From April to October, 200 meters (656 feet) of yellow marker buoys are placed 200 meters (656 feet) from the low water mark to indicate that vessels must not “exceed six knots, annoy or endanger other beach users, run ashore or launch from the beach.”
Vikki Slade, the leader of the BCP Council, stated, “There is no evidence to suggest that any of these rules were violated.”
Together with our collaborators, we are confident that any future lessons to be learned will be learned.
Tobias Ellwood, Conservative Member of Parliament for Bournemouth East, implored Dorset Police to issue a “qualified statement” regarding the incident that resulted in the deaths of the girl from Buckinghamshire and the boy from Southampton.
“We have eight miles of beach, and families want to know if it’s secure,” he said. “The police must be given the space to conduct their investigation. But ultimately, we must allay fears and dispel the rampant rumors that are spread by social media.
The Dorset Police Department refused to comment on any investigation involving the Dorset Belle.
The police department also stated that it was collaborating with the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.
Assistant Chief Constable Rachel Farrell had previously emphasized that investigations were still in their infancy and that the force was only disclosing certain details to quell rumors. The precise circumstances of what occurred remain obscure.
According to a prior police statement, no one leaped from the pier or touched a jet ski or boat. A man suspected of manslaughter has been released pending further investigation.
The council head informed the reporters that beach safety will be a “top priority” before this.
She verified that she will meet with Conor Burns on Friday to discuss pier safety.
