A woman risked her own life in a desperate attempt to save a much-loved couple trapped in their vehicle during flash flooding on Queens Drive in Mossley Hill. Elaine and Philip Marco died when their Mercedes became submerged under a railway bridge on August 26, 2023, just days before their 54th wedding anniversary.
The second day of an inquest into their deaths heard how Zoe Tater, travelling home in a taxi, saw a “huge lake” under the bridge and got out to help. She saw someone “waving in distress” and attempted to assist before spotting a body under the water. Matthew Davies, who was with Ms Tater, described the water flowing “like a torrent” along Queens Drive.
Another witness, Emily Fleetwood, said she saw a large vehicle pass under the bridge in the opposite direction to the Marcos’ car, which was travelling at around 20mph with headlights on. Taxi driver Mahmoud Ahmedsaid reported seeing a man in the water up to his shoulders, apparently carrying someone, but the exchange lasted only six minutes due to the noise of rainfall described as a “waterfall” over the bridge.
Merseyside Police forensic collision investigator PC Elliott Creed said the car became hydrolocked after water entered the engine, rendering it immovable. He noted that the heavy rainfall may have prevented Mr Marco from clearing his windscreen sufficiently to see the rising water, and he may have driven into it unknowingly. CCTV footage showed water moving rapidly under the bridge like waves.
Vehicle examiner David Cook confirmed there were no defects on the car before it entered the water, which was 182 metres long and three metres deep—far exceeding the car’s height of 1.87 metres. PC Creed suggested that a bow wave from another vehicle or misjudgment of depth could have caused the engine to hydrolock.
The Marcos were well-known in south Liverpool and the Jewish community. Their son Simon told police they had been celebrating his brother’s 40th birthday and were in good spirits, looking forward to Christmas. The inquest continues.
