The determined parents of a toddler, who was killed on a Paradise Island beach a few years ago, have appealed to the British monarchy and a flambouyant billionaire in another desperate bid to have the authorities investigate his death, according to the British media
Paul and Andrea Gallagher first made headlines locally when a runaway speedboat careened onto a beach near the Atlantis Resort in August 2002, ploughing through the family and killing two year old Paul Jr.
News reports have, over time, carried their displeasure over the way Bahamian authorities had handled the investigation.
Now, according to the Bromley Times, the Gallaghers have made appeals to the Queen and entrepreneur Richard Branson in a last ditch effort to secure justice for their son.
The Gallaghers claim that the speedboat’s operator did not have the proper license and further claim that water sports operators are still operating illegally on the island.
The family wants Queen Elizabeth II, as head of the Commonwealth, to lobby for a full investigation.
“A letter will be hand delivered to Buckingham Palace this week asking the Queen to look into this,” Mr. Gallagher was quoted to have said. “We met a Government minister last Wednesday but the meeting went very badly. In three years they haven’t managed to put any pressure on the Bahamian government. They have had plenty of time. This is really the last opportunity they will have before we demand to see Tony Blair.
“At the end of the day I don’t believe that there’s nothing the British Government can do. They are the most powerful government in the world, after America.”
In another move, according to reports, the couple’s MP John Horam, has also vowed to write billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin airline recently started flying to Nassau, urging him to warn holidaymakers of the risks posed by unlicensed speedboat operators.
“I have agreed to write to Richard Branson,” he said. “I would like him to put pressure on Bahamian authorities to improve safety standards but the least he should do is put some warning in his brochures.”
A coroner’s inquest in The Bahamas determined that the toddler’s death was accidental. But in a different ruling, a British counterpart recorded an open verdict last October.
The Minister of Transport and Aviation Glenys Hanna Martin, reacting to the Gallagher’s campaign, told The Bahama Journal that proposed legislation to better regulate the water sports industry in The Bahamas has been submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for final drafting and should be brought before Cabinet shortly for the government’s approval.
“The legislation would deal with the issue of the suspension and revocation of licenses, criminal offences and the qualifications of individuals,” she explained.
“It would address the issue of training sessions for those who come to The Bahamas for the first time to jump on jet skis-and that would be used to at least familiarize them with jet skis before they use them.”
She also said that Bahamas officials had told both the British High Commissioner at the time and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Britain about all of the efforts that had been taken to address the issue.
Officials maintained that following the tragic incident and numerous complaints, hundreds of jet ski operators were trained.
Minister Hanna Martin admitted that considering the available manpower, the biggest challenge had actually been enforcement.
“We have been trying to bring together all of those forces to see if we can regulate the sport but the problem is that there are one or two – who for some reason cannot appreciate the very serious implications of their lawless behaviour – who end up besmirching the character of the industry and The Bahamas,” she said.
Source: The Bahama Journal
