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

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5.4 Fatalities and hospital-treated recreational boating-related injuries 2006/7 There were two boating-related drowning fatalities recorded on the National Coroners Information System (NCIS) and 902 hospital-treated recreational boating injury cases (223 admissions and 679 ED presentations, non admissions) recorded on hospital injury surveillance databases over the period July 2006 to June 2007. MIR system data for 2006/7 (reported last year) showed 3 fatal and 5.4.1 Deaths (n=3) Fatality data analysed here are for cases recorded in 2006/7, whereas MIR fatalities reported earlier are for 2007/8. Fatality data were sourced from the NCIS. According to the NCIS there were three recreational boating-related injury fatalities in Victoria in 2006/7, the same number as in 2005/6. All three deaths were fishers, one drowned after falling into the water from a powered half-cabin vessel when putting out craypots, another had a heart attack and fell into the water and drowned and the third was found dead in the water with his life jacket and some fishing line tangled around his wrist. None was wearing a PFD when retrieved from the water. The same three deaths were recorded on the MIR system in 2006/7 and were included in MUARC’s last report. The other two deaths recorded on the MIR system in 2006/7 were recreational vessel ‘response only’ incidents – the drowning deaths of a boogie boarder and a scuba diver – and are not ‘in scope’ for boating related injury deaths on the NCIS. The circumstances of the three boating-related fatalities recorded on the NCIS for 2006/7 were as follows. A common recorded contributory factor to all the fatal incidents was non-wearing of PFD. • The deceased, a 57 year-old male, and a friend were fishing in a 4.9m half cabin cruiser. Neither was wearing a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Whilst putting out some clay pots, the deceased fell into the water. The friend tried to assist, however a wave hit the boat on he side, causing it to roll. The friend was thrown into the water. The friend was rescued but the deceased was not. The Coroner indicated that it was likely that had the deceased been wearing a PFD, he would not have drowned. • The deceased, a 32 year-old male, was fishing in a small boat approximately one km off shore. He was seen by witnesses to be doubling over, was heard to make an unusual loud noise and then fell into the water. He was not wearing a PFD. Witnesses found the deceased motionless and face down in the water. The Coroner indicated that, had the deceased been wearing a PFD, there is a chance that the outcome may have been different. Death was attributed to coronary artery arthrosclerosis in circumstances suggestive of drowning. • The deceased, a 73 year-old male, left his home to go fishing (a regular pastime) in his 5.5m. timber boat. When he did not return home, a search was conducted. The boat was located about 800 metres off shore with the lights on and anchor up. The engine was idling in neutral. The deceased was found in the water, floating on his back. A life jacket was tangled around his wrist. 42
5.4.2 Hospital-treated injury (n=902 cases) Over the 12-month period July 2006 to June 2007, there were 223 hospital admissions and 679 ED presentations (non-admissions) for boating-related sport and recreational injuries recorded on the VAED and the VEMD respectively. This represents a 5% decrease in the number of hospital treated injuries recorded in 2005/6. Broken down by severity, there was a 9% decrease in VAED cases (hospitalisations) and a 7% decrease in VEMD cases (ED presentations, non-admissions). This follows several years of increases (31% from 2004/5 to 2005/6 and 36% from 2003/4 to 2004/5). Table 12 compares the pattern of injury for admissions and ED presentations (non-admissions); the key points are as follows: • Males were grossly over-represented in both admissions and ED presentations, accounting for 74% of all hospital-treated recreational boating injury cases. This is probably related to their higher participation rate in recreational boating sports. • Age groups 15-29 and 30-34 years accounted for 35% and 29% of admissions and 41% and 26% of ED presentations, respectively, for boating-related injury in 2006/7. This is most likely related to the higher participation of these two age groups in boating-related sports and recreational activities. • Hospital-treated injury cases mostly occurred in water skiing, wakeboarding and inflatable riding (41% of admissions and 44% ED presentations), general boating (15% of admissions and 36% ED presentations) and PWC riding (13% of admissions and 8% of ED presentations). • The major specific causes of injury were: falls (24% of admissions and 32% of ED presentations) and hit/ struck/crush injuries involving objects (13% of admissions and 32% of ED presentations). There were 9 non-fatal drowning/submersion hospital-treated cases in 2006/7 compared with 22 in 2005/6. • The lower extremity was the most commonly injured body site for both admissions and presentations, accounting for 32% of all hospital treated injury, followed by the upper extremity (25%) and head/face/ neck (22%). • Forty-four percent of admissions were fracture cases, most commonly knee and lower leg fractures (29% of fracture cases). Dislocations/sprains/strains were the next most frequent type of injury (13%, mostly shoulder dislocations). Among ED presentations, open wounds (26%) and sprains/strains (21%) were common injuries. Marine Safety in Victoria: July 2007 to June 2008 43
Page 1 and 2: Marine Safety in Victoria July 2007
Page 3: Contents Summary 6 1. Introduction
Page 6 and 7: Figures Title Page Figure 1 Trend i
Page 8 and 9: Summary This is the fifth MUARC rep
Page 10 and 11: • Nearly half (48%) of vessels we
Page 12 and 13: • Forty-four percent of admission
Page 14 and 15: 1.2 Data sources 1.2.1 Marine Incid
Page 16 and 17: of data is coded using the fourth A
Page 18 and 19: MSV has expanded this definition to
Page 20 and 21: 3.2 ‘Response only’ incidents (
Page 22 and 23: There were no recorded commercial v
Page 24 and 25: 3.3.4 Vessel occupant details, PFD
Page 26 and 27: 3.3.7 Contributory factors to ‘se
Page 28 and 29: 3.4.1 Hospital admissions (n=4) The
Page 30 and 31: 4.5 Type of water and environmental
Page 32 and 33: 5.2 Response only incidents (n=926)
Page 34 and 35: Table 5 Factors contributing to ‘
Page 36 and 37: • A half cabin cruiser (vessel le
Page 38 and 39: Table 7 Recreational vessel ‘seri
Page 40 and 41: Vessel length was known for 122 of
Page 42 and 43: Table 10 Recreational ‘serious in
Page 46 and 47: Table 12 Pattern of hospital-treate
Page 48 and 49: 5.4.2.1 Hospital admissions (n =223
Page 50 and 51: Table 13 Recreational boating-relat
Page 52 and 53: Table 14 Provisional ranking of boa
Page 54 and 55: Figure 11 Hospital-treated towed wa
Page 56 and 57: Figure 12 ED presentations for towe
Page 58 and 59: The major causes of injury were: fa
Page 60 and 61: 5.5.5 Windsurfing and kitesurfing (
Page 62 and 63: 6 Discussion and conclusion There w
Page 64 and 65: Our literature search found only on
Page 66 and 67: ehavioural problems. The third pati
Page 68 and 69: 7 References Ashby K, Cassell E. (2
Page 72: For further information call Marine

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