A RUNAWAY Jet Ski caused mayhem in the sea off Herne Bay on Sunday.
The fun boat leapt out of the hands of its rider as he tried to fire it up.
It careered off and boats had to dodge the ghost craft, with it amazingly ending up near Southend. (more…)
Visitors to a boat show have told a court how they attempted to rescue a man struck by the propeller of a speeding boat.
Southampton Crown Court has heard how Tristan Douglas-Johnson died after he was hit by the rigid inflatable boat (Rib) at the Southampton International boat show. (more…)
As a 4.5m RIB with three teenage occupants approached the beach to pick up a wakeboard, it passed a line of markers indicating the boat was entering an area in which a 4 knot speed limit applied. The driver reduced speed to about half throttle, and commenced a slow left-hand turn. During the turn, the console on which the driver was sitting, and to which the steering wheel was mounted, detached from the deck. The driver was unable to maintain his balance, and fell over the boat’s port side and into the sea.
The RIB immediately turned sharply to starboard, and a passenger who had been sitting on the rubber tube to the driver’s left was thrown into the water. He was immediately struck by the RIB’s rotating propeller. A few seconds later, the remaining passenger panicked, and jumped out of the boat, leaving the now unmanned RIB to circle in a clockwise direction, at a speed of between 10 knots and 15 knots. While circling, the RIB passed sufficiently close to the driver, who was assisting the injured passenger, for its propeller to rip his fleece top. None of the RIB’s occupants were wearing buoyancy aids. (more…)
On 7 November, three RIBS, Kestrel, Eagle, and Lanner had been involved in a corporate sea challenge event with guests embarked. The day finished at Lymington, and once the guests had disembarked, the driver of each boat prepared to return to Southampton. The three RIBS left Lymington at 1730, having called the company engineer to advise him of their ETA. About 10 minutes later, and as they were leaving the Lymington River, the RIB drivers were told over the radio that it was “all clear” to head home in formation. As they were low on fuel, and it was now dark, this would ensure they would remain in company by transiting three abreast or in-line astern. (more…)
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch have published Safety Bulletin in response to two fatalities from a high-speed rigid inflatable boat accident that happened 13 March.
A man and his teenage daughter died during a day trip on inland waters, in their rigid inflatable boat. The MIAB investigation of the tragedy revealed the hydraulic steering system of the RIB was in poor condition and the boat carried no basic safety provisions. With the onset of the summer boating season, it was considered essential to promulgate the lessons to emerge from the investigation so far, so the MAIB has issued this Safety Bulletin. (more…)