The tragic incident occurred in French Polynesia in August 2020

Eddie Jarman.Credit : JustGiving

A 14-year-old British-Polish boy was killed after being struck by the propellers of a “fast-moving, unlicensed speedboat” while snorkeling on a round-the-world trip with his family, according to reports.

On Aug. 9, 2020, Eddie Jarman was snorkeling to check his family’s boat anchor when a speedboat struck him in Mo’orea Bay in French Polynesia, leaving him with catastrophic head and chest injuries. Eddie, 14, was given first aid by emergency teams at the scene, but died from his injuries at around 4 p.m. local time that same day, the BBC and U.K. outlets The Telegraph and The Times reported.

The driver of the three-tonne, five-meter-long speedboat was a local lagoon guide who had rented the boat for the day with his girlfriend. An involuntary manslaughter investigation was launched by the French Polynesian Police (FPP) following the incident, but was later dismissed, according to the outlets.

At an inquest at Woodvale Crematorium in Brighton, England, on Tuesday, April 28, it was revealed that Eddie strayed up to 15 meters while snorkeling in a navigation channel as his family relaxed on their boat after lunch. The driver of the speedboat told police he had driven through the middle of the channel when he “felt he hit something,” per The Telegraph and The Times.

Eddie Jarman.JustGiving

Eddie’s parents then “heard the woman from the speedboat shouting” and saw their son “unconscious” with “a gash to his head” being cradled by the woman while surrounded by blood in the water, according to the outlets.

The speedboat was thought to be traveling within the 20-knot speed limit in the area, per The Telegraph and The Times.

West Sussex Coroner Joseph Turner confirmed Eddie’s cause of death to be from hemorrhage shock and a ruptured spleen. He said at the inquest that the injuries were “unsurvivable,” according to The Times.

Edward’s parents, Harry Jarman and Barbara Genda, condemned the decision not to charge the driver as they accused him of speeding and being drunk during the incident.

Moorea island in French Polynesia.Getty

Harry, 60, told police, “I thought, ‘He’s going too fast, much too close to us’. The boat was practically skimming above the surface. I thought, ‘He’s crazy,’ ” per The Telegraph.

Genda, 51, said at the inquest that Eddie had been swimming with an orange snorkel with a red tip and was “clearly visible to other sailors in the area,” per The Times.

The hearing was told that the driver had shared a bottle of wine with his girlfriend at lunch before the incident and had drunk the night before at a party. Blood samples taken from the driver, however, came back negative for alcohol, per the BBC. Eddie’s parents reportedly demanded a retest of the samples, but the request was denied.

Coroner Turner said there was “clear” evidence that the driver had drunk the night before and it was “difficult” to “reconcile” the evidence with the results. He considered a conclusion of gross negligence manslaughter in the case, but ultimately returned to a narrative concision, per the BBC and The Times.

PEOPLE has reached out to the West Sussex Coroner’s Office and FPP for comment.