Holidaymaker died after slipping from boat with no security railings

A holidaymaker drowned in a freak accident when he slipped while climbing onto a rented boat and fell into the water before being carried away by a strong current.

Callum Bell, 58, was enjoying a break on the tranquil Norfolk Broads with his partner Diane Simmonds and other family members as part of his recovery from a stroke he suffered earlier this year when he tried to board the moored 44ft vessel.

He was not wearing a life jacket when he lost his footing at the stern and plunged into the River Bure in Great Yarmouth.

His death was the four water-related tragedy in four days in the holiday hotspot county, prompting a safety charity to warn people to take more care.

Grieving Ms Simmonds, who was with her sister and her partner, criticised the lack of railings to grab hold of.

She told the Mail: ‘There are no safety rails at the back of the boat, which is the only entrance and exit. Callum tripped on the step with nothing to hold onto then rolled into the river.

Callum Bell, 58, (pictured) died after slipping from a boat without safety railings 

‘If safety barrier was there, it would have stopped him rolling in. We wore safety jackets when travelling on the boat but not to go out in the town so on entering the boat there is no safety. They also allow young children on these boats.

‘When we booked it, we thought the entrance would have been safe. I am saying this to hopefully get the boatyards to put more safety in place. They are certainly making enough money from people hiring them.’ A woman who answered the phone at Barnes Brinkcraft, who own the boat, said: ‘They meet the [legal] requirements.’ Company director Daniel Thwaites added: ‘As you can imagine, all our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Bell.

‘We have no more information about what happened to Mr Bell, so we cannot comment further at this stage.’ Mr Bell, of Nottingham, died just after 9pm on Tuesday while pottering about the Broads on the £185-a-night Brinks Lullaby, which sleeps up to eight in four double cabins.

The others on board for the week-long break heard the sound of the fall but by the time they got outside he had been swept away.

A Norfolk Police spokesman said: ‘He was recovered from the water but, despite best efforts by emergency services, was pronounced dead a short time later.’ Life jackets are provided as standard on the dual steering vessel, which has a comfortable saloon and an outside seating area.

The first of the first confirmed death was on Saturday, when a man in his 70s died at Brancaster beach after he was seen getting into difficulty in the sea.

The following day, a body was recovered from Wroxham Broad. A man in his 20s had gone missing after getting into the water at about 11.30pm on Friday.

The third tragedy was also reported on Tuesday when a body was found in the River Wensum in Costessey, on the outskirts of Norwich.

Police had been alerted in the early hours following reports of a man who had gone for a swim but not resurfaced.

Norfolk Police said they were not releasing the other victims’ details at the request of their families.

The county is one of the most popular UK destinations for holidaymakers, with miles of beautiful coastline, the idyllic broads, beautiful countryside, and the historic city of Norwich on offer.

There were 151 accidental drownings in 2022, according to a report last year from the Royal Life Saving Society UK. More than four in five involved men.

The reports recommended changes including targeted messages about water safety in areas notorious for drownings and how to ‘better deliver school swimming’.

Brendon Prince, founder of charity Above Water, said: ‘There seems to be more drownings this summer holiday than last.

‘We’ve got to do something about it before the Covid generation, who missed out on swimming lessons at school, reach adulthood.’ Other deaths this summer include Dishone Lloyd, 16, who got into trouble on August 12 – the hottest day of the year – while swimming with friends at Burnside Lakes in the Cherry Hinton area of Cambridge.

The teenager had recently completed his GCSEs at a school in Harlow, Essex.

Mark Hall Academy headteacher Matt Carter said: ‘The suddenness of this tragic loss is a stark reminder of just how precious and fragile life can be.’