A Plymouth couple who died after the car they were driving plunged into Hooe Lake have been remembered exactly 10 years on from the tragedy.
A memorial ceremony was held at Billy Hart’s Quay at 2pm today, Tuesday, 25 August, in memory of Barry Froggatt and Barbara Lavery, who sadly lost their lives at the site a decade ago.
The couple were test driving a silver Peugeot 407 estate on the afternoon of 25 August 2016 when the vehicle went over the edge of the quay and fell around seven metres into Hooe Lake.
The car landed on its roof and became submerged, sparking a desperate rescue mission involving members of the public and the emergency services.
Retired soldier Paul Brain and PC Andrew Stewart both entered the water in an attempt to rescue the couple.
RNLI volunteers and firefighters joined the rescue operation but despite the efforts of those at the scene, both Barbara and Barry were pronounced deceased.
Safety measures were introduced following the tragedy, including large boulders being placed along the edge of the quay.
A decade later, the site where Barry and Barbara lost their lives has undergone significant improvement.
Local businessman Neal Stoneman, who has acquired the land, has worked to transform Billy Hart’s Quay, carrying out emergency repairs to make the area safe and overseeing repairs to a section of sea wall which had been collapsing.
Sign up for free below to get notified of all the latest breaking news from Plymouth Plus.
