THE distraught father of a teenager who drowned at Brighton Marina today called for more lifebelts in the harbour.

Allen Nye's son, Ian, 17, died minutes after falling into the sea at the marina on Saturday night. And he believes his son could have been saved if there had been a lifebelt nearby. Mr Nye, of Orchid View, Hollingbury, Brighton, said his family have been devastated. He is writing to the owner of the marina, Andrew Goodall, and to Brighton Pavilion MP David Lepper, asking for more lifebelts. Mr Goodall said today that health and safety requirements would be looked at again because of the tragedy. Ian, who could not swim, had spent the day fishing with a friend. When the pair were about to leave at about 10.15pm, Ian spotted something in the water at the end of the western breakwater. He climbed over a barrier to have a closer look but slipped and fell. A couple walking nearby called for help on a mobile phone but by the time a lifeboat arrived about 15 minutes later he was dead. Ian, who had a brother, John, 18, had left school and was working as a machine operator at West Instruments in Brighton. Mr Goodall, the owner of Brighton Marina, said: "We are extremely sympathetic to the family. It is a tragic accident. "The marina is constantly reviewing its health and safety policy and we last had an inspector here in February to check that everything was up to scratch."

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