Two tragedies involving the Gozo Channel ferry have spurred a young woman to publicly denounce the company for failing to prevent the loss of her father and cousin through negligence.

Where were the people monitoring cars who should have noticed his car going in the wrong direction?

Francesca Camilleri, 20, has spoken out in the hope that the company will implement proper safety procedures and preventative measures that is expected from public transportation.

“Prevention and due diligence taken by both the authorities in charge of this company and its employees could have saved one loving family a lifetime of heartache that will never be healed,” Ms Camilleri told The Sunday Times.

Ms Camilleri, the cousin of PC Kurt Gauci who drowned after he drove off the wrong quay to board the ferry and ended up in the sea nine days ago, lost her father, Anthony, in 2009 after he suffered a heart attack on the boat.

The ferry had just left from Ċirkewwa, when the captain was told to return to the terminal because a man had fainted.

A public announcement was made urging anyone on the ship who could provide medical assistance to come forward. A doctor presented himself and tried to revive her father using “nothing more than his hands” to perform CPR.

“There were no trained medical professionals on board employed by Gozo Channel, nor did it possess all the adequate equipment in case of a medical emergency, such as a defibrillator,” Ms Camilleri said.

She pointed out that automated external defibrillators were small, practical and designed to be used by lay people. These, she insisted, could make the life-saving difference for victims of cardiac arrest if they were readily available on the spot.

It was quite ironic, she said, for Gozo Channel to proudly proclaim on its website that safety was its highest priority.

“We meet or exceed all industry standards,” Gozo Channel says on the site, “from vessel design and operation to crew training and emergency equipment... As part of the company’s commitment to quality service and customer convenience, we maintain first-aid facilities that are adequately equipped and a crew complement that is trained in basic first aid and CPR. Selected members of our crew are also trained in advanced first aid.”

When contacted, Gozo Channel yesterday said having defibrillators on board was not a mandatory requirement.

When asked if defibrillators have been introduced since the incident two years ago, the company said: “One must understand that the travelling time between the two islands is in the region of 20 to 25 minutes and is within territorial/coastal waters.”

“There would naturally be more stringent requirements on ferries sailing in international waters even for relatively short journeys.

“Indeed, in the latter case, the availability of a medical practitioner would be a requirement. Nevertheless, please note that Gozo Channel always has crew members fully trained in first aid on every trip.”

Ms Camilleri also takes Gozo Channel to task for its failure to ensure safety measures were in place to protect commuters and prevent her cousin’s untimely death.

“Like many of us who arrive early at the terminal, Kurt closed his eyes and took a nap in his car... He dozed off and was awakened abruptly by the employee on duty to start the car and board the ferry,” she said.

“However, probably disoriented from waking up so suddenly, he drove past the boat through an open gate and appeared to take the wrong ramp that led him directly into the sea. Where were the people monitoring cars who should have noticed his car going in the wrong direction?

“If Kurt was waiting for the ferry in the queue, it was very obvious he was planning to get on that particular ferry, so why didn’t anyone stop him when he started driving the wrong way? And when he actually fell into the sea, why was he left to wait in his car underwater for a patrol boat that came way too late?”

It may be a while before Ms Camilleri’s heartfelt questions are answered because Gozo Channel is choosing to remain mum on the issue under the pretext that an internal inquiry is under way.

Ms Camilleri also raps the government for its empty promises to put up barriers and railings at Ċirkewwa.

“Had the barriers been installed before my cousin’s tragic accident, the ending to his story would have been dramatically different,” she said.

“Prevention is better than cure, although in these two cases there will be no cure whatsoever as it was too late to save either of their lives... Were these two tragedies not predictable and probable emergencies that could have occurred to anyone?”