A JET-skier made a mistake which cost him his life when he did a 360 degree turn in the path of another jet ski, an inquest heard yesterday .Mick Taylor, 32, of Dorset Avenue, Great Baddow, was jet-skiing off St Lawrence Bay, near Maldon, with three of his friends when the tragedy happened on August 26 last year.

By Juliette Maxam

A JET-skier made a mistake which cost him his life when he did a 360 degree turn in the path of another jet ski, an inquest heard yesterday .

Mick Taylor, 32, of Dorset Avenue, Great Baddow, was jet-skiing off St Lawrence Bay, near Maldon, with three of his friends when the tragedy happened on August 26 last year.

The group had paired off and Mr Taylor was jet-skiing with Carl Bloomfield. They were heading for Bradwell when the accident happened.

Mr Bloomfield said: “He came round in front of me. I thought: 'What's he doing?' and I thought: 'Get off.'”

He added: “I didn't know what to do, so I just chucked myself in the water. When I came up he was lying face down in the water.”

Mr Taylor had performed a “doughnut” manoeuvre, turning his jet ski all the way round at high speed, right in front of Mr Bloomfield.

Another of the group of friends, Paul Golden, said Mr Taylor was “quite high”.

He said: “His jet-ski was running really well. He was showing off, everybody was. It's an adrenaline buzz.”

Kevin Farquhar, who had been jet-skiing earlier and was on the shore when he saw the accident, which he said happened in a split second.

“Mick turned 360 degrees and bang, Carl couldn't miss him - there are no brakes on jet-skis,” he said.

Mr Taylor was airlifted to Colchester General Hospital, but he died from his injuries.

Police officer Robert Smallcombe, who at that time was serving with the marine unit, said both Mr Taylor and Mr Bloomfield's jet skis were found to be in good working order.

Essex coroner Caroline Beasley Murray recorded a verdict of accidental death.