Janet Purkess, 87, from Lyndhurst, Hampshire, was run over in Barbados in 2020 after exiting the Saga Sapphire. According to the woman’s son, she was the victim of a “perfect storm of incompetence” when she was crushed to death by a reversing vehicle on a pier.
Chris Purkess stated that an “appallingly poor” police investigation compounded errors by Saga, the pilot, and the port.
Saga stated it was assisting a current investigation into the incident. The authorities of Barbados have been requested to comment.
Mrs. Purkess was struck and killed by a refueling vehicle on January 25, the inquest in Portsmouth previously heard.
Her son, who questioned Saga and ship safety officials at the hearing, described the ordeal as an “emotional roller coaster.”
Mr. Purkess stated outside of court that the truck driver was “unlicensed, uninsured, and reversed a ‘not fit for purpose’ 10-wheel truck directly over the mother, causing truly horrific injuries.”
According to him, the port of Bridgetown neglected to provide security personnel to supervise the disembarkation of passengers.
He added that Saga and the ship’s captain allowed passengers to disembark into an “unsafe environment.”
“It was the epitome of ineptitude. All of this stems from an appallingly inadequate police investigation, which failed to pursue crucial eyewitness evidence, as stated by Mr. Purkess.
Wednesday’s hearing was informed by coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp that no witnesses from the ship were interviewed because the death occurred on the quayside.
She postponed the inquest until June 23, after the scheduled prosecution of the truck driver in Barbados.
In a statement, Saga expressed its condolences to the Purkess family for their tragic loss.
“We completely support this investigation and have collaborated with all relevant authorities throughout this process. We will continue to provide the coroner in the United Kingdom with all conceivable assistance.”
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