Marine Safety in Victoria Report 2007-2008 (PDF, 1.3 MB, 72 pp.)

• A half cabin cruiser (vessel length 5.9m.) with 3 persons on board was operating inward across the
Kate Kearney’s bar against the tide. The vessel had experienced engine failure and was operating on
its auxiliary outboard. The vessel did not have the speed to push against the tide and was swamped
by following waves. A child passenger, wearing a PFD, drowned. Contributory factors to the incident
included bar conditions and machinery failure.
• A half cabin cruiser (vessel length 5.4m.) with two persons on board was travelling in an easterly
direction up Cunningham Arm (Lakes Entrance) when it collided with a special marker (Compass Pile) at
considerable speed. The bow was extensively damaged. Recorded contributory factors were restricted
visibility, excessive speed and failure to keep a proper lookout. Neither decedent was wearing a PFD.
Their BAC levels were unknown.
• A 6.1m.powered open boat carrying two adults and five children collided with another vessel. One
of the children on board, a five-year-old, was killed. Recorded contributory factors were error of
judgement, excessive speed and failure to keep a proper lookout. All children on board the vessel were
wearing PFDs.
• A 5.4m. half cabin cruiser with one person on board (a male aged 40) launched from Werribee and
was due back at midday. It was reported overdue. An overnight search conducted by police and
coastguard vessels was unsuccessful as was an aerial and sea search in daylight. In the same afternoon
a body was located by a private recreational vessel which was identified as the missing vessel operator.
No contributory factors were recorded. The deceased was wearing a PFD. His BAC level was unknown.
• The deceased, a 43 year old male on a 5m open powered vessel, was ejected from the vessel at high
speed whilst competing in an Australian Power Boat Association event at Carrum. He died from injuries
sustained on impact with water. Five contributory factors were recorded, two environmental and three
human: floating or submerged object, wash, error of judgement, excessive speed and inexperience. He
was wearing a PFD. His BAC level was unknown.
• A small (4.9m) powered recreational vessel was located with no person in it (it is unclear from the report
if the occupant was reported missing). Water surface and land search along the river failed to find vessel
occupant (a male aged 31). His body was eventually located at the bottom of the river, close to the
vessel. The cause of the incident was believed to be a combination of moderate speed and instability.
Recorded contributory factors were: inexperience, unable to swim and inadequate stability. He was not
wearing a PFD. His BAC level was 0.00.
• There was an explosion and fire on a 12m powered cabin cruiser when the vessel was refuelling at Pier
35 marina. Two persons were killed and 3 persons were injured. Recorded contributory factors were
electrical equipment failure and ‘other material factor’. No details were given of age and gender of
deceased. BAC level of deceased was unknown.
Serious injury incidents (n=9)
Nine serious injury incidents (leading to 11 serious injuries) were reported on the MIR system in 2007/8,
one more incident than in 2006/7, compared with 20 in 2005/6. Serious injury incidents are underreported
on the MIR (as they were on the MID) when frequencies are compared with recreational boating
hospital admissions recorded on the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset (see section 5.4.2), because
many injurious incidents are not reported to the Water Police.
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