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Alone, No Kill Cord, No Lifejacket, No Chance<br />
Narrative<br />
CASE 24<br />
On a cold and dark winter’s evening a rowing<br />
coach had difficulty starting the outboard<br />
engine on an open launch as he prepared<br />
to supervise a training session on the water.<br />
When he eventually started the engine he was<br />
well behind the group of rowers, who were<br />
accompanied by a second coach, also in an<br />
open launch.<br />
While attempting to catch up with the<br />
rowers, the coach fell overboard. There were<br />
no witnesses and the first indication that<br />
something was wrong was when the launch<br />
was seen by people on the riverbank circling in<br />
an uncontrolled manner. They shouted towards<br />
the launch and heard returned shouts for help,<br />
but the coach was not seen so the coastguard<br />
was alerted.<br />
The launch continued to circle until it collided<br />
with another boat on a river mooring. It<br />
then became entangled in the mooring and<br />
capsized. The launch was recovered to shore<br />
the next day. The body of the coach was<br />
discovered 36 days later a few hundred metres<br />
downstream of the rowing club; he was not<br />
wearing a lifejacket.<br />
The Lessons<br />
1. The coach was not wearing the kill cord.<br />
Consequently, when he fell overboard it<br />
remained attached to the engine, which<br />
kept running. Therefore, there was no<br />
chance of the coach getting back on board<br />
and every chance that he would be hit by<br />
the circling launch. Kill cords need to be<br />
attached to the engine to enable it to be<br />
started, but they must be attached to the<br />
driver if they are to achieve their purpose.<br />
2. It is not known how or why the deceased<br />
fell from the launch. However, if the<br />
outboard engine stopped after the launch<br />
had set off, attempts to re-start it could<br />
have resulted in the deceased being thrown<br />
overboard, particularly as the outboard<br />
engine could be started while in gear and<br />
its throttle was sticking. The increased<br />
risk of falling overboard when working<br />
on outboard engines is frequently not<br />
recognised - but it should be.<br />
3. On open boats, lifejackets are an essential<br />
safety aid at any time, but the additional<br />
precautions of reliable communications,<br />
adequate lighting and the wearing of PLBs<br />
are also invaluable precautions. Particular<br />
care needs to be taken when driving a boat<br />
alone and at night.<br />
MAIB Safety Digest 1/2017<br />
57
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