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Saturday, April 17, 1999 Published at 10:49 GMT 11:49 UK


UK

Jet-ski tourist faces death charge

Tougher restrictions have been placed on jet-skiers

A British woman faces manslaughter charges after a holiday jet-ski crash in which a Russian tourist died.

Kathleen Morgan, 37, from Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, suffered a broken arm in the collision in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 9 April.

The mother-of-three was visiting her 33-year-old sister Maria Kendrick who works as a financial consultant in the Middle East state.

Tougher restrictions

UAE authorities are understood to be considering bringing a manslaughter charge against Mrs Morgan, who says the crash in which Mikhael Melenkov died was an accident. She is currently under police guard in hospital.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "It is possible that Mrs Morgan may be charged with an offence by UAE authorities.

"We are in close touch with Mrs Morgan, her travelling companions and the Dubai authorities and with her family here in the UK."

Her three sons aged nine, seven, and five are in Welwyn Garden City with their father.

The deaths of two British jet-skiers in Spain and Cyprus last year prompted calls for tougher restrictions on the use of jet-skis.

Safety inspections

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) called for a European code of practice for the use of jet-skis.

It said the code would include basic instruction for drivers, compulsory insurance and a minimum driving age of 16.

RoSPA's call was followed by new measures to improve safety around the coast of the UK.

The rules allow coastguards to carry out random safety inspections on fishing boats, and local councils will get wider powers to check leisure vehicles like jet-skis and speed boats.





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