A mother who lost her son when he was hit by a propellor at the Southampton Boat Show has launched a new petition to make kill cords mandatory in the wake of the Padstow boating accident
Following the deaths of Nick Milligan and his daughter Emily in a bank holiday Monday boating accident, Heddon Johnson, whose son Tristan died of the horrific injuries he sustained after being hit by an out-of-control boat at the Southampton Boat Show in 2000, has launched a petition calling for the wearing of kill cords to be mandatory in all powerboats.
Johnson says, “A simple law would stop an accident like this happening again. It was only when legislation was brought in to say people had to wear seatbelts in cars that people actually put them on. We must convince the government that they cannot wait any longer to introduce the equivalent rule for kill cords in powerboats.
“I think about my son everyday. I’ve reached a point where I can cope but there’s never a day I haven’t thought of him. My heart goes out to the Milligan family as they deal with this tragedy. Time doesn’t heal, it just muffles and I do not want any more families to go through this devastation.”
So far the petition has attracted over 30,000 signatures. Click here to read the petition and decide whether to sign.
MBM will be reflecting on the tragedy and what it means for boaters in the July 2013 issue of MBM.
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