Man fined over accident that fractured boy’s skull

A GOLD Coast man has been fined $5000 for causing a jet boat crash which fractured a boy’s skull so badly he required 17 staples to repair the wound.

Jason Horn, 50, pleaded guilty to negligently risking the safety of a person or a domestic commercial vessel in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday following a crash in December 2015.

The court heard Horn had been working for Gold Coast Jet Boating Pty Ltd for about two months when he lost control of his jet boat on the Broadwater near Brown’s inlet during a 2pm tour. In the moments before the crash, Horn sped past a navigation marker “within arm’s length” before the vessel spun and crashed into a second marker which fell onto the boat, fracturing the skull of a 15-year-old passenger.

The boy was rushed to hospital with a compound fracture to his skull and 17 staples were needed to treat the cut which “zigzagged” down his head.

Barrister Jon Tippett QC, under direction of Nyst Legal, told the court Horn crashed because of a “momentary loss of attention” where the boat went “off power” causing it to slide sideways into the navigational marker.

Horn has had a commercial boat licence since 2004 and has volunteered at the Southport Volunteer Marine Rescue for the past 17 years. He worked for Gold Coast Jet Boating Pty Ltd for another 12 months after the crash before leaving the company. He now works for Aquaduck Safaris in Surfers Paradise.

Magistrate Mark Howden fined Horn $5000 and recorded a conviction.

Gold Coast Jet Boating Pty Ltd faced three marine safety charges yesterday but they were all dismissed in court with prosecutors offering no evidence.

Outside of court yesterday Mr Tippett said the crash was due to a momentary lapse of judgment.

“It was a very brief lack of judgment, driving without due care for a couple of moments and the wrong marker was hit and the top fell off,” Mr Tippett said. “He was shattered ... a young boy involved was injured and he suffered considerably.”