United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Pensioner crushed between cruise ship’s pontoon and boat
A cruise passenger was crushed to death after falling between Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and a boat after returning from a day trip, an inquest has heard.
Disabled former teacher, Mary Atherton, 75, was on a world cruise in the Indian Ocean and South China Sea when the swell created a gap as she was stepping to the boarding platform and she fell into the water.
She was returning from a tourist attraction in Cambodia and was crushed between the tender boat and the pontoon on April 1.
Cunard said at the time that crew members had jumped in to try and rescue her.
Andrew Allen, a yacht owner and fellow passenger on the cruise last April, told Preston coroner’s court there were no safety warnings from the crew before the holidaymakers disembarked from the tender, reports the Daily Mail.
He said: "I was expecting a rope to be pulled in and tied round a cleat. I was expecting it to be tight, not much gap, but there was a considerable gap and we were moving backwards and forwards."
Pathologist Dr Helen Stringfellow said Mrs Atherton suffered an extensive skull fracture and would have died instantly.
Mrs Atherton, from Penwortham, Lancashire, had told Cunard she had mobility problems at the time of booking 12 months earlier, the court heard.
She suffered from osteoarthritis, Meniere’s disease – which affects balance – and one of her toes had been amputated.
The inquest continues.
Diane
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Report: Cruise guest died after ship lashed in heavy storm
British teen in serious condition after paraglider collision