Boy, 14, died after being hit by speedboat on holiday

A 14-year-old boy died after being struck by the propellers of a "fast-moving, unlicensed speedboat", an inquest has concluded.

Edward Jarman was hit in the head and chest by the three-tonne, semi-rigid inflatable boat while snorkelling in Mo'orea Bay in French Polynesia in 2020.

The British-Polish teenager had been on a round-the-world sailing trip with his family, who had a few months left of their planned adventures before returning to the UK.

The inquest at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton, East Sussex, heard on Tuesday his family had been "fighting for justice for a long and painful four years".

The driver of the five-metre boat that struck Edward, known as Eddie to his family, was a local lagoon guide, who had rented it for the day.

An involuntary manslaughter investigation was launched by local police following the incident, but officials did not bring any charges.

Eddie was taken to shore, and attempts were made to resuscitate him.

But area coroner Joseph Turner said that his injuries were likely to be "immediately fatal and non-survivable".

Conflicting evidence was heard at the inquest over the speed that the boat was travelling.

Eddie's father, Harry Jarman, told local police that it came behind them at "full speed" and was "practically skimming" above the water.

He added that he thought the driver was "too close" and "crazy".

But the driver told officers that he was going below the 20-knot speed limit and had slowed down in the waterway.

The coroner concluded that it was likely the boat was travelling within the speed limit but added that other parts of the world would not have such a speed limit in proximity to moored boats and the beach.

The inquest heard that the driver and his passenger – his then girlfriend – said that they had shared a bottle of wine at lunch before the incident.

The driver also had been drinking alcohol the day before at a party.

However, toxicology samples taken from him on the day came back clear, though Eddie's family have questioned the results.

Coroner Turner said that the evidence was "clear" that the driver and his companion had been "up to probably the early hours of the night before" and consumed wine.

It was "difficult" to "reconcile" the evidence and clear sample, he added.

The coroner added that the driver knew the area very well and was experienced with that type of vessel.

The family have appealed the decision by local police not to bring charges, though they were told that there was not a "realistic prospect of conviction because of the totality of evidence", according to Turner.

Another appeal also failed.

The family can pursue a further legal challenge at a higher court in France but said that they had been told it had a "limited prospect of success".

The coroner was unable to reach a conclusion of unlawful killing, instead returning a narrative conclusion.

He gave the court's sincere condolences for the "unimaginable tragic loss of your young son".

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