The Marine Accident Investigation Board report into the fatal man overboard incident on board racing yacht Lion last June has highlighted flaws in standard man overboard training and crew management as issues that require attention from the yachting community.

Racing yacht Lion, which was taking part in one of the Fastnet qualifier races in June 2011, was in strong winds and seas in the Channel when the 47-year-old skipper, Christopher Reddish, was washed overboard. He was tethered to the yacht by a safety line but drowned before he could be recovered on board and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The report highlights some important areas of concern which contributed to the fatal incident:

  • After a headsail change the skipper chose to leave the sail lashed to the guardrails rather than stowing it below, which directly contributed to the series of events which led to him going overboard
  • The crew had not undertaken a practical man overboard practice as a whole group
  • RYA practical training does not give enough attention to the difficulties of retrieving a tethered man overboard
  • There is a general lack of awareness that the only point of a lifejacket designed to take the load of a body being winched out of the water is the lifting strop, not the metal 'hook' tether point for safety lines
  • There was no designated crew member appointed to take charge in the event of the skipper being incapacitated
  • The safety lines on board the boat were long ones, rather than short or three point lines. A short line would have prevented the skipper going over board
  • The crotch straps of the lifejacket worn by the skipper were either not done up or failed in the process of the recovery. The ISAF working party on crotch straps on lifejackets has been revived as a result of the reports' findings.

 

One LSC skipper commented that there are many useful lessons to be learned from the report, not least the need to invest in short tethers for crew. But the overriding lesson of the report is to try and prevent a man overboard incident as far as you possibly can, as it's extremely difficult to retrieve someone from the water.

Download the full MAIB report here (PDF file, opens in new window)