Speedboat death wife Victoria Milligan in kill cord plea
A woman whose husband and daughter died in a speedboat accident has urged other boat users to wear a safety kill cord.
The Milligan family, who were on holiday from London, were thrown out of their boat off Padstow in May 2013.
Nick Milligan, 51, and his daughter Emily, eight, were both killed. Victoria Milligan lost a leg and her son Kit was severely injured.
A report concluded that if a kill cord had been worn the engine would have cut out when they were thrown overboard.
The report said that Mrs Milligan was at the helm of the speedboat Milly on the Camel Estuary when BSkyB sales boss Mr Milligan said she should make a turn.
Mr Milligan then reached across to take the helm and increased the engine throttle setting to full, throwing the whole family out of the boat.
The boat then continued to circle under full power, striking several members of the family.
The report concluded that if a kill cord had been worn at the time, the engine would have cut out when they were thrown overboard.
Mrs Milligan has a message for other boat users.
She said: "Please always wear a kill cord. Even if you are coming into shore or a pier, always put it on.
"Just be aware you are driving a powerful machine and always have the right training."
Mrs Milligan added that the family had received full training before the accident.
"My husband was hugely safety conscious," she said.
"We had done our speedboat courses. He had always worn a kill cord.
"What happened to us was a horrific accident."
Mrs Milligan has been raising money for Cornwall's rescue services.
She has already raised more than £250,000 for Cornwall Air Ambulance and presented the organisation with a cheque at its base on Thursday.
"I was slightly dreading going to see the rescue helicopter in situ but I found it incredibly uplifting to give back a huge amount of money to the charity which is fully funding their night flying technology," she said.
"That is going to save lives and that's the best legacy we can leave for Nicko and Emily."
And she is hoping to raise more than £300,000 for the RNLI and Child Bereavement UK in a charity cycle ride starting in Cornwall.
The ride leaves Trevose Golf Club in Cornwall on 20 June and arrives 272 miles later at Trinity Fields, in London on 22 June.
There are 125 cyclists taking part with a further 25 riders joining for the final stage on Sunday.