Family members in mourning for a committed couple who died in what is described as "completely preventable" circumstances have cri...
Family members in mourning for a committed couple who died in what is described as "completely preventable" circumstances have criticized the condition of a road.susceptible to major flooding for almost a hundred years.
Philip Marco, 77, and his wife Elaine, 76, were likely overwhelmed by the bow wave from a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction, which led their Mercedes CLA 180 to hydrolock and stop, according to an inquest.
Firefighters discovered Mrs. Marco first, lying face down in the water — their efforts to save the couple were called 'heroic' — but the flood under a Liverpool railway bridge was severe, taking more than an hour to locate the car and Mr. Marco's body.
Coroner Andre Rebello determined that the deaths of the devoted couple, who were only days from marking their 54th wedding anniversary, occurred due to an accident.
He strongly condemned Liverpool city council for informing the inquest that it did not consider the A5058 road beneath the bridge on Queen's Drive a danger to life, even though one of its own reports had indicated otherwise.
Subsequently, the family released a statement criticizing the council for neglecting its duties following the inquest, which revealed that it had postponed installing 'risk of flood' warning signs at the location.
Commenting outside the courtroom, the couple's daughter, Sarah Marco Weinberg, criticized the council for "not acting quickly enough," and stated, "Their continued refusal to take responsibility for what occurred has only intensified our sorrow."
She described how she and her sister Betsy Marco Yarkony, along with her brothers Simon and Joshua, longed for their parents every single day.
Ms. Marco Weinberg stated, "What makes this situation even more difficult is being aware that their deaths could have been entirely prevented."
Liverpool City Council holds the highest responsibility for this. They are given the task of ensuring the city's roads are safe for all who use them, whether walking or driving.
They were aware that prior to August 26, 2023, there had been four major flood events beneath the Queens Drive railway bridge within a span of three months.
Vehicles were already stuck and emergency services had already been dispatched. Moreover, that area had a prolonged history of frequent flooding even prior to 2023.
Even with all these warnings, the council did not implement the necessary proactive and urgent measures to safeguard lives.
At the inquest, it was very disappointing to listen to the council claim they had done all they could reasonably do at that time, and to hear them take no responsibility whatsoever.
Ms. Marco Weinberg stated: “Their stance is very different from that of United Utilities, who provided proof of a meeting attended by council members, indicating that a flood report was activated (as required by law) due to the threat to human life.”
The council claimed they were unaware of this, despite one of their own staff members having ordered the report. They failed to act quickly.
'No warning signs were put in place, no public announcements were made, and even though there had been four recent floods, they still characterized the risk of more flooding as "low".
They were also unable to provide any notes or minutes from meetings, claiming that none were available because the conversations were 'informal,' but they still maintained that this did not indicate a widespread failure to document decisions or actions.
The Marcos - returning home from Joshua's 40th birthday on August 26, 2023 - were caught in a downpour characterized as 'monsoon-level' in strength.
The road became flooded as a United Utilities combined sewer, which collects water from the highway, overflowed and stopped functioning, with sewage mixing into the floodwater.
The drain had closed down in the same way in May, June, and twice in July, with vehicles stuck each time.
However, highway official Andy Bethell repeatedly informed the inquest that the council did not believe the flooding posed a threat to human life.
Mr. Rebello also discovered that - even though the council denied it - the flood report had indicated a distinct danger to human life.
He mentioned that the water pool was more than three meters deep in certain areas across an 180-meter stretch of road and referred to the firefighters who arrived at the scene as "heroes."
The coroner stated, "They placed the danger to others above their own lives. It is truly humbling."
There were no signs on Queens Drive beneath the railway to alert drivers to the danger of flooding. The Local Authority must have been aware of this since the building of the main road in or around 1926.
There were four prior flooding events at this site in 2023.
He mentioned that minutes from a meeting held between the city council and United Utilities on August 15, only a few days prior to the disaster, had concluded with a 'section 19 report' that initiated an inquiry into the causes of the flooding.
The meeting's notes included the phrase 'risk to life,' but the council stated that it had been incorrectly recorded.
Mr. Rebello stated, "The court values the testimony of those who recorded notes during the meeting on August 15, 2023, which indicated that the s19 report was commissioned because of a concern regarding the risk to life."
Signs were only put up following the incidents on August 26, 2023, and subsequently, remote barriers and sensors were installed.
There has always been a danger to life because of flooding in this area during periods of intense rain, since the main road was built.
The risk has risen due to urban growth and the more severe rainfall, which is expected to result from climate change over the years.
The postponement of installing signs and barriers is considered a shortcoming, as these actions could have alerted drivers to the dangers, including the threat to human life.
United Utilities is currently investing £30 million to construct a seven-million-liter tank in the city's Mystery Park in an effort to stop additional flooding beneath the bridge.
Liverpool City Council Chief Executive Andrew Lewis acknowledged that the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Marco have resulted in unbearable sorrow and anguish.
He stated: "Considerable efforts have been made at the location to reduce the likelihood of subsequent flooding. This involved setting up barriers, signs, and early alert systems, including CCTV surveillance and alert sensors."
The local authority appointed an external expert assessment in accordance with Section 19 of the Flood and Water Management Act. This document was released publicly and has contributed to the Inquest's findings.
I have provided my personal guarantee to the family that the Council is completely dedicated to ensuring openness and transparency in every aspect concerning this tragedy.
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