Tragedy at Padstow - 5 May 2013

[NSS]

Whatever the cause, the consequences are tragic. But for every accident of this magnitude there are many others that have significant effects on those involved, even if they don't attract the media coverage that this one has.

I work at the Wessex Neurological Centre, co-ordinating charity fundraising for the unit, and we see them all, be it head injuries from a swinging boom, a swimmer struck by a PWC or someone chewed up by a prop. More often than not, such injuries are not fatal, but the long-term effects of such head/brain injuries are often profound. Nobody sets out for a day on water with the intention of putting themselves or others in danger, but my guess is that most of these 'accidents' are avoidable.

For my own part, I won't let anyone board my boat without donning a LJ before stepping off the jetty and briefing anyone new aboard as to basic safety. Have I ever forgotten to attach the Killcord before setting off? - you bet I have, and it's a sobering thought when I have realised as I know precisely what the consequences could be.

It won't bring back those who lost their lives, or had them changed forever in Padstow on Saturday, but if PBR's stickers stop just one such accident from happening in the future then it will have been well worthwhile. I'll be applying one of as soon as I can get hold of one, and I applaud them for the initiative.

[bradosh]

Originally Posted by kerny

Very sad!! lets not judge. Condolences to those lives lost.

Quite right its all very sad reading

[thomas]

It is sad and I feel for the family, I have an 8 year old girl and the thought of something similar makes me feel sick - However it is healthy to discuss these sorts of things and everyone reading though the comments will have learnt something. What you read on here isn't nearly as bad as the gossip you hear form no boaty people on the street and in the most part constructive.

[PeterM]

And the rubbish the press make up....even my mum thinks the boat turned upside down.... :-(

[SIBer]

When I bought my outboard I immediately bought a second cord.
If the helm is in the water (with the cord) someone else needs to restart engine to rescue them - Or get the rest of the crew out of trouble!

I test mine every trip. But that's also to check engine will restart once warmed up before setting off.

Kill cord is such an unfortunate name.

[AJ.]

Originally Posted by PeterM

And the rubbish the press make up....even my mum thinks the boat turned upside down.... :-(

And my mum but having never sat foot on a boat nor will she ever she does now know what a kill cord is and I am sure will remind me every time she knows I am going out boating.

Absolutely tragic.

[PeterM]

BBC News - Powerboat 'kill cord complacency' fears

Good to see HMS making it to the BBC web page

And as I mentioned Paul on BBC radio 2 today....

Got to help avoid anything like a repeat..but you never hear about the situations that are avoided through good practice.

[chris.moody]

Originally Posted by SIBer

When I bought my outboard I immediately bought a second cord.
If the helm is in the water (with the cord) someone else needs to restart engine to rescue them - Or get the rest of the crew out of trouble!

You may not want just anyone restarting the engine and driving towards you when you are in the water unless you are confident of their MOB abilities.

An anchor and vhf may be the best thing for the remaining crew.

[behavin]

posted earlier so just want to add a bit :

the kill cord shown on the news was stretched out ie: it wasnt a tightly coiled one.
This to me shows its either been well used by the driver ,or maybe has caught on something at the drivers end and broken ?

The rib was turning circles as shown in the videos with no one aboard so the kill cord shown i would say not be the instructors that jumped onboard.

Was the guy actually driving ? was one of the others having a go ?
my boys very often drive our rib and if they do i join kill cords together and sit next to them rather than them wear the cord.

i had a kill cord have the clip corrode out and the spring clip break...so i use a plastic clipped one now.

Suggestions of better and more secure clips is a great one.

wireless cords ? no way ! it has to be a physical attachment to the boat and the driver..as fail safe as it gets

on westcountry they showed a guy clipping it to clothing ?? really ?
i always either wrap and clip mine around my knee or clip it to the lifejacket... i would never clip it to the zip of my fleece as shown on TV.

my gut feeling is this is a simple mistake of not clipping the cord on , but i hope in a way its proved the guy did everything right and its a catastrophic failure of a piece of equipment such as the switch or the cord snagging and breaking the clip that has led to this terrifying accident.

its made everyone with ribs here sit and think about our families out in the boats ..
feel for the family obviously but also for the by standers and rescue crews trying to do their best to help .

[kerny]

Originally Posted by PeterM

BBC News - Powerboat 'kill cord complacency' fears

Good to see HMS making it to the BBC web page

And as I mentioned Paul on BBC radio 2 today....

Got to help avoid anything like a repeat..but you never hear about the situations that are avoided through good practice.

I do not agree with Mr Monty Swan on compulsary tests for new boaters it doesn't work for cars, people still make mistakes. Education not legislation is the way forward for me.

[PeterM]

Originally Posted by kerny

I do not agree with Mr Monty Swan on compulsary tests for new boaters it doesn't work for cars people still make mistakes. Education not legislation is the way forward for me.

I agree with you Kerny ..but anything that reaches the main stream media to educate can't do any harm. I've been quizzed endlessly at work today about kill cords. I've told everyone to get off a small boat if the helm isn't using it.

[paddlers]

In my line of work 30 years ago or more there was a voluntary test called the 'Woodland Stalkers Competence Certificate' that demonstrated a basic knowledge of deerstalking cost a few quid run by volunteers. I never bothered. Now it's mandatory costs hundreds of pounds to pass part one (two day course), part two & now I believe part three plus you can't stalk on Forestry Commission land without at least passing 1 & 2. It's made some of the organisers very rich indeed & has done little to improve safety or attitudes of the cowboy element !! This type of very tragic accident can lead to a knee-jerk reaction to make our hobby of boating just as regulated with everything governed by a few pen-pushing desk jockeys & bureaucrats stopping us doing the very thing we enjoy & inhibiting people enjoying the freedoms we have. Trust me, they'll have us jumping through their hoops once they start !!

[Steve_B]

If HMS and the magazine get the stickers printed, I will take a job lot and personnaly see that they are given out to all the local boat yards, dry stacks and slip ways in Poole.

I have even made up my own, laminated it and it will be on our RIB tomorrow. Part of our crew's role has always been to check that the skipper is clipped in.

Steve

[Pedrode]

Originally Posted by chris.moody

Can we please stop guessing what happened and leave the poor man alone. He POSSIBLY made a mistake and paid dearly with his life and the lives of his loved ones.

The people we should be seriously harassing are the ones still alive and still deliberately driving ribs without wearing the killcord. Seen offenders both yesterday and today.

Couldn't agree more.

[whackywoody]

This is tragic news and my thoughts go to the family at this difficult time.

I don't want to speculate about what could have happened as I will leave this for the authorities to obtain the facts but was wondering whether a prop guard could have prevented the fatalities or life changing injuries?

[Kraken999]

http://www.rya.org.uk/sitecollection...inter%2006.pdf

Page 13 of this 2006 RYA Wavelength publication provides useful advice on kill cords and refers to the RYA producing a sticker.

Dual kill cords for kids advice is repeated in April's edition of 2013 on page 7

http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollection...%20April13.pdf

Further reference is made on page 5 of February 2013 issue.

http://www.rya.org.uk/SiteCollection...20Feb%2013.pdf

My RIB has an MCA wear your kill cord sticker which was available on link below, currently out of stock. Its a triangular sticker similar to the Lifejacket useless unless worn one. It works for me as a reminder stuck on the console just above the steering wheel.

Recreation and water sport*: Publications - MCA

It's difficult to see what good can come out of such a tragedy and whilst I accept that on here it's generally preaching to the converted this discussion is a good thing and it has certainly made us all think and for me at least the sheer horror and then sadness of this incident will endure for a long time to come and go on reminding me.

It's a sad fact of life that accidents will happen and that life hangs by a thread whether you're driving a car, walking along a pontoon in the dark, or stepping out of a tender onto a boat. A momentary lapse of concentration or attention to detail is all it sometimes takes. Regulation will not necessarily interrupt a chain of events which lead to a tragedy and blame in an incident of this nature serves no useful purpose either. Even if and I repeat if there were any blame in this case the price has been paid in full.

The best we can all do is learn and as has already been commendably mentioned is to try and influence and educate where we are able.

[willk]

A case like this is always a tragedy, no matter who did or didn't do what. My thoughts are with the family and response personnel. If anything positive can be taken from the situation, it is that it has raised public awareness to a degree that I have not encountered before. I'm just home from a bit of a jaunt by sea and several non-boaters have asked me about the case as they knew I was out when it happened (yeah, makes no sense). Indeed, my father, a retired lad not known for his safety record, phoned me specifically to ask if I "wear one of those protection things". After some initial confusion, we established that I did

If nothing else, let this reaction be the legacy of this horrible event - like "lifeboats for all" after Titanic. So often we need to be shocked into action...

[Sunstreaker]

Of course We all appreciate prevention is better than cure. My understanding is an unmanned boat will often move in ever decreasing circles. If you do find yourself in the water in this situation are there any options?

[Ian_st]

Seadoo lanyards are great in that they are audible very time connected, really easy to connect and as they are chipped add an element of security.

Using the lanyard will be directly proportional to ease of use. The current mercury toggle switch is fiddley which leads to disconnecting it from me when boat not in use... As opposed to disconnecting from the boat.

The design clearly needs to make this easy and second nature to promote safety.

[Tim M]

Originally Posted by PeterM

BBC News - Powerboat 'kill cord complacency' fears

Good to see HMS making it to the BBC web page

Mr Montgomery-Swan, who has 25 years of experience driving powerboats, said he believed it should be mandatory for new boat owners to complete a competency training course.

I'm with him on that.