Cruise passenger crushed by truck, inquest hears

Janet Purkess died while on a Caribbean cruise in 2020

An 87-year-old tourist was crushed to death by a reversing truck after disembarking from a cruise ship in Barbados, an inquest has heard.

Janet Purkess, from Lyndhurst, Hampshire, had just got off the Saga Sapphire in Bridgetown in January 2020 when she was run over on the quayside.

The unlicensed driver is awaiting trial in Barbados, the inquest heard.

Mrs Purkess' son Chris told the hearing the quayside was not safe and had not been properly inspected by Saga's crew.

He questioned the actions of the ship's captain, who left on an excursion shortly before the accident.

The Saga Sapphire had made an unscheduled stop in Barbados to refuel, the inquest heard

Mr Purkess said: "He would have seen there was no security. He would have seen a 10-wheel crane truck refuelling and yet he continues to carry on regardless."

He said his mother should not have been allowed to disembark before the quayside had been made safe.

In a written statement, truck driver Anthony Omar Walcott recalled feeling two "bumps" as he reversed beside the ship on 25 January.

His heavy duty driver's licence expired in 2019, the inquest heard.

Investigators appointed by the port found the lorry had a restricted rear view and no beacons or alarms, the hearing was told.

They said the absence of port security staff on the quayside was "inexcusable".

James Langley, Saga's operations director, said it was uncommon for security to be provided on the quayside.

"The criminal investigation is probably the most pertinent key issue - the unlicensed driver," he told the coroner.

A ship's officer did perform a safety check of the quayside but this was not logged, the inquest heard.

Hampshire coroner Rosamund Rhodes-Kemp said she was forced to adjourn the hearing until after Mr Walcott's trial, which is due in June.