Girl, 17, and her father killed as dinghy capsizes at reservoir

By Paul Sims for MailOnline

Updated: 18:38 EST, 15 July 2009

A father and his teenage daughter have died after their dinghy capsized during a race at a reservoir.

Victoria Wilkinson, 17, became entangled in the rigging of their boat after it was overturned by a gust of wind.

Her father Geoff, 52, was thrown clear and went back to help his daughter.

But as he frantically fought to free her from the rigging of their Laser Stratos the father-of-three suffered a heart attack.

He and his daughter were pulled to safety after spending five to ten minutes beneath the water. By then, however, it was too late.

Mr Wilkinson, a solicitor for Cumbria County Council, was pronounced dead after being airlifted to Newcastle General Hospital, while his daughter was taken to intensive care in a critical condition.

On Tuesday, with her mother Catherine, a 48-year-old GP, at her bedside, Victoria also died.

The pair were taking part in a two-mile race organised by their local club on Kielder Reservoir in Northumberland - Europe's largest man-made lake - when the accident happened on Sunday afternoon.

Jane Peacock, a senior air ambulance paramedic, said: 'Victoria got into difficulties underneath the boat. Her dad was thrown free but went in to find her.

'He got to her but was unable to get her free. They were both in cardiac arrest by the time we got there.

'They had drowned, effectively, even though the sailing club rescue boat got to both of them, with an off-duty doctor on board.

'We believe both had been underwater for about five to ten minutes. We were unable to get a pulse from dad, but his daughter stabilised.

'It is a terrible tragedy and our thoughts go out to the family.'

An investigation has been launched into the accident by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the Royal Yachting Association.

Mrs Wilkinson, of Kirkwhelpington, Northumberland, who also has two sons, seven-year-old Ben and John, 19, a medical student, was too upset to comment.

Steve Gibbon, commodore of Kielder Water Sailing Club, said: 'The dinghy capsized and inverted. It would appear that Victoria got tangled in the rigging.

'When the boat became inverted her father then went to rescue her and got into difficulties himself. The club's rescue team attended and they were brought back to the shore where two teams gave CPR until the paramedics and air ambulance arrived.'

It was the first fatality in the club's 28-year history.

Mr Gibbon added: 'The club is in severe shock over this tragic accident. It is a family-orientated club with more than 160 members, most of which are families.

'The prayers and hopes of all of the members of the club are with Geoff's family.' Kielder Water is a reservoir in the Northumberland National Park and is run by Northumbria Water.

A spokesman for Northumbria Water said: 'Our deepest sympathy is with the family.

'All clubs that operate on Kielder Water operate to the Kielder Water rules and in addition clubs have their own rules and regulations, and follow the Royal Yachting Association Guidelines.