There have been calls to raise an infamous bridge in Great Yarmouth following the death of a woman who fell from a boat. 

It comes following the accident which saw holidaymaker Laura Perry fall from the back of a Broads' motor cruiser. 

Miss Perry, 38, of London, was with her family when she fell overboard the Diamond Emblem 1 after it collided with the embankment wall opposite the yacht station. 

The mum-of-three was caught in the propeller and died at the scene on August 19, 2020. 

Norwich Evening News: The road was closed for hours following the death of Laura Perry at Great YarmouthThe road was closed for hours following the death of Laura Perry at Great Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest)

One of the reasons behind the tragedy was the inability to moor as there was no room and not being able to sail under the bridge due to the height of the water at the time. 

Speaking at a meeting of the Broads Authority (BA) held at Yare House this week, Rob Rogers, director of operations, described how there had been "a run of bad luck" within Norfolk’s waterways in recent years. 

In 2020/21 there were five reported fatalities within its waterways; three related to boating, including the incident with Miss Perry. 

Norwich Evening News: Great Yarmouth yacht stationGreat Yarmouth yacht station (Image: Newsquest)

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Mr Rogers reaffirmed the BAs position of safety and said it was "a key priority for the BA and it never goes away". 

Mark Collins, member and commodore at Northern Rivers Sailing Club, cited his own experiences sailing through the moor and said he was himself deterred from sailing through there. 

While member Peter Dixon added: "It is an inherently dangerous place." 

Norwich Evening News: Yare House in NorwichYare House in Norwich (Image: Newsquest)

Passage through the Lower Bure and across Breydon presents challenges on the Norfolk Broads with the main risk factors being the strong tides, low bridges, and narrow channel.  

BA member Leslie Mogford suggested that the committee should be prepared to lead the way and support conversations surrounding increasing the height of the pedestrianised bridge. 

He said: "We should watch with interest [improvements at Great Yarmouth] and be ready to have a case put forward to have the bridge raised."