Damning report on sinking of Duck boat

The sinking of a boat, which left a family of six from the Black Country fearing for their lives, was the result of poor maintenance and a failure to meet standards, a damning report has found.

The Ellis family's trip on the famous Yellow Duckmarine in Liverpool ended in horror as the popular attraction went down in the city's historic Albert Docks with 31 people on board.

An investigation has now ruled the family from Sedgley were 'extremely fortunate' to have escaped unharmed from the incident which was 'potentially fatal'

Nobody was badly hurt, but the sinking in June last year led to a dramatic rescue operation as terrified tourists were left stranded in the water.

Bill Ellis with his family, who survived the Duck sinking in Liverpool

They included Lauren and Olivia Ellis, who were aged 11 and seven, their parents Stuart and Claire and grandparents Bill and Susan. They had travelled to Merseyside to celebrate Bill's 70th birthday.

Bill was hailed a hero as he leaped into action, helping dozens of passengers escape as the boat sank beneath the surface.

It was one of two accidents involving an amphibious boat, known as Ducks, in the space of three months and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has now ruled serious failings put lives at risk.

Thirty people were evacuated after a craft caught fire on the River Thames in September last year. The report found the Duck crafts did not have the level of buoyancy foam required and had not been properly approved by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in 2000.

Rescue services and a Duck boat which caught fire on the Thames

The MAIB also said passengers and crew were not adequately prepared to deal with an emergency situation. It said it was a concern it took two 'potentially fatal' accidents to prompt a 'framework for safely operating' the vehicles. In the wake of the sinking, Claire, a financial adviser, spoke from the family's home in Queens Road.

She said: "There was a lot of screaming and the girls were hysterical. The water got to around knee deep before we were able to climb out. Lauren was saying 'I'm going to die, I'm going to die'. I just kept telling her 'you're not'." Grandfather Bill, of Old Barn Road, Wordsley, pulled himself up onto the roof of the boat and threw the two life rafts to help the dozens struggling to swim.

He said: "I just remember thinking, the only chance we've got is them (the rafts). " Claire said: "If it hadn't been for him, we wouldn't be here. We'd be dead."