Fife boat crash caused major injuries

An artist suffered catastrophic injuries during a powerboat crash when the two skippers collided while they were showing off.

Jane Francis, 45, lost around 40% of her vision and was left virtually blind in one eye after s u ff e r i n g serious crush injuries during the crash at sea off the Fife coast.

Dundee Sheriff Court heard the two powerboats – taking tourists to the Isle of May – ran into each other as they carried out a synchronised power turn.

Mrs Francis was left with broken bones and the impact of the crush between the rigid inflatable 12- person vessels caused lifelong retina damage.

The court was told a power turn was carried out to give the unsuspec t ing passengers an “exh i larat ing” experience during the pleasure trip to view the birds on the island.

The court heard one of the skippers told passengers the manoeuvre would make people on the nearby May Princess wish they had come on the powerboat trip instead of the cruise ship.

However, when the boats completed their arc at speed they came back together closer than planned and one of the skippers swerved in the wrong direction.

Anstruther lifeboat coxswain Roy Giles, a director of the company, correctly turned his vessel in starboard.

But Simon Chapman turned his board in a port direction and ran into the company ’s sister vessel.

The Cellardyke-based company admitted being in breach of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and being responsible for Mrs Francis’s injury and impairment.

Sheriff Alastair Carmichael deferred sentence until next month.