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Inquest into body spotted from ferry concludes

Ferry Online Travel News 14/02/2008

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Officials still don't know why two people drowned off the Isle of Wight

An inquest into the deaths of two friends from Black Country has been unable to discover what lead to the drowning. One of the friends, described as a ‘thrill-seeker’ was spotted dead off the Isle of Wight by a passenger on a ferry, however the inquest was unable to provide much further insight into the deaths.

According to John Matthews, the coroner in the case, there will always be unanswered questions concerning the death of Harris and Richard Perry.

Last July, 20-year-old Harris and 28-year-old Perry set out in Perry’s rigid inflatable boat from Sandown Bay. Harris was at the helm and the inquest discovered that neither wore a life jacket.

The boat was found drifting near Bembridge Ledge with no trace of its passengers. A large scale air, sea and land search began, attempting to locate the pair.

Perry was found floating in the water and was taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead. Harris was not found for nine days. Her body was spotted by a passenger on a cross-Channel ferry plying the waters near Bembridge.

Father Nicolas Harris said that both Perry and Harris had experience with boats. “She enjoyed herself, but did not do anything silly,” said Mr Harris. “I think they might have been thrown off the boat if it was jumping a wave.”

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