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| Airman Scott Hughes 'died after safety failures' in Cyprus | Airman Scott Hughes 'died after safety failures' in Cyprus |
| (34 minutes later) | |
| A coroner has blamed a systemic failure of safety systems at a military base in Cyprus for the death of a Gwynedd airman who was struck by a speedboat. | A coroner has blamed a systemic failure of safety systems at a military base in Cyprus for the death of a Gwynedd airman who was struck by a speedboat. |
| Senior Aircraftman Scott Hughes, 20, from Y Felinheli, died two days after the incident off the shore where he had been relaxing with servicemen. | Senior Aircraftman Scott Hughes, 20, from Y Felinheli, died two days after the incident off the shore where he had been relaxing with servicemen. |
| North Wales Coroner Nicola Jones recorded a narrative conclusion after an inquest into his death. | North Wales Coroner Nicola Jones recorded a narrative conclusion after an inquest into his death. |
| SAC Hughes had been flown to the island after a six-month tour of Afghanistan. | |
| He had been flown to Cyprus for two days of relaxation within a sovereign base area (SBA) on 4 November, 2010 where a number of water-based activities were organised at the base's water sports centre. | |
| Gunner Hughes, served with 1 Squadron Royal Air Force Regiment, and two colleagues, Jack Bennett and Jamie Savage, decided to sit in a rubber ring and then be towed along by a speedboat. | |
| 'Vigorously pursuing' | |
| However, SAC Hughes fell off, the inquest was told, and started swimming back to the nearby pontoon, a normal practice. | |
| Shortly afterwards, the boat driver, a civilian contractor referred to as Stelios, dropped the remaining passengers at the shore, unhooked the ring, and moved off towards the pontoon. | |
| The hearing was told that this was when SAC Hughes was struck, suffering severe head injuries. He was taken to hospital in Limassol where he later died. | |
| At the end of the four-day inquest held in LLandudno, Ms Jones said there had been a systemic failure of safety systems within the military base which meant health and safety briefings were insufficient. | |
| She also said that if the boat driver had out his boat into neutral or stopped the engine once he had hit Scott Hughes instead of going into reverse he would not have suffered his fatal injuries | |
| The solicitor representing the family Mark McGhee said they would be "vigorously pursuing a substantial civil claim against the Ministry of Defence. | |
| "Unsurprisingly the coroner's findings have confirmed what we and Scott's family have believed for almost three years - that the tragic death of this fine young man was wholly avoidable," said Mr McGhee. |