Pair fatally poisoned aboard sports cruiser
Freddie Webb
Two men were fatally poisoned while inside the closed cockpit of a sports cruiser.
William Traynor and Martin Stevenson both died of carbon monoxide poisoning while on board Emma Louise in Port Hamble Marina. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) determined the cause of the deaths after two bodies were found on January 12 last year.
The investigation report said Mr Traynor, 44, arrived at the vessel with his brother-in-law Mr Stevenson, 39, on January 10, 2022, and planned to stay on the ship for two nights. The next day, after Mr Traynor went to work and Mr Stevenson explored Hamble, the pair met up at 5pm outside a restaurant at the Marina and got back on board.
Theystartedtheengineand switchedonaportableelectric radiator,thecockpitlights,navigationlightsandtheradio,and satinthecockpitwiththecanopy closed drinking a beer each. Mr Traynor, the boat’s owner, calledhiswifeandtoldherthey wereplanningtostayonEmma Louise that evening and have a meal.
She tried to call the pair the next day at 10am but got no answer – contacting the Port HambleMarinaofficeforhelp. Staff found Emma Louise with her engine idling and the two occupants unresponsive and without a pulse.
Emergency services – including paramedics, police and the fire and rescue service – arrived at 10.30am. Both men werepronounceddead20minutes later.
The MAIB concluded that they died of carbon monoxide poisoning as the petrol engine was left running the previous evening. They said it was likely that the engine was left on to maintain power to some of the boat’s systems.
Exhaust gas had likely been funnelled into the cockpit between the boat’s transom and aninflatablewaterskiingringo suspended from it, the MAID added. The cockpit provided little ventilation due to the close-fitting canopy and there was no alarm on board to warn the men.
Andrew Moll OBE, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: ‘The accident onboard EmmaLouiseservesasanother dreadful reminder of the danger posed by carbon monoxide andthespeedatwhichdamage to health and collapse can occur. With no carbon monoxidedetectorfittedthetwomen were unaware of the danger and were tragically overcome within minutes of starting the cruiser’s engine.’