Lundy Explorer report published
Serious injury to a passenger on the sea safari rigid inflatable boat Lundy Explorer at Ilfracombe, England.
Today, we have published our accident investigation report into the serious injury to a passenger on the sea safari rigid inflatable boat Lundy Explorer at Ilfracombe, England on 7 June 2023.
Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said:
This dreadful accident highlights that even when operating at slow speeds in harbour areas significant injuries can still occur on rigid inflatable boat (RIB) rides when inappropriate seating arrangements are used. The passenger, who suffered life-changing injuries, was seated in the forward part of the vessel, an area well-known to experience the highest shock loads during wave impacts. Despite being in good health and wearing appropriate safety equipment, she was dislodged from her seat and sustained a spinal injury that has resulted in permanent paralysis.
The risk to passengers was significantly increased by the design and use of the front ‘jockey’ seats, combined with insufficient safety briefings and a lack of formalised operational procedures. Sadly, these are not isolated issues. Our previous investigations have shown a pattern of similar injuries occurring, which suggests that safety on commercial RIB operations is a persistent issue that the industry can do more to address.
I urge all operators to take action. Review seating arrangements, give thorough safety briefings before every voyage and conduct risk assessments. The guidance is plentiful, make use of it today.
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