A marine safety watchdog has urged the Minister for Transport to consider involving gardaí, naval personnel, and harbour masters in enforcing maritime safety regulations, reports Breaking News.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) raised concerns over the lack of compliance with rules requiring the use of personal flotation devices (PFDs), particularly in light of numerous drowning incidents. The board questioned whether more criminal prosecutions should be pursued, given the widespread neglect of these rules.
Highlighting this trend, the MCIB stressed that the public’s continued disregard for such a basic safety measure suggests that stronger enforcement may be necessary, reports Breaking News.
The board pointed out that breaches of PFD regulations can result in summary convictions with fines up to €5,000.
The MCIB made these remarks in a report into the death of a man in his 30s, who drowned after falling overboard from a small leisure boat, Lady Pexia, on August 25th, 2023, while returning from a mackerel fishing trip in Galway Bay to Nimmos Pier in the Claddagh, reports Breaking News.
The report stated that several factors contributed to the man’s death, particularly the absence of a properly functioning and worn PFD.
According to the investigation, the skipper of the boat had given the victim a lifejacket before departure and reminded him to keep it on. While the skipper claimed the deceased wore the PFD for most of the trip, the MCIB found the equipment was faulty, reports Breaking News.
The skipper later noticed the lifejacket on the engine hatch, suggesting the man had removed it by the time he went overboard.
The report noted that high noise levels inside the boat’s cabin would have made it difficult for the skipper to hear cries for help, and the cabin’s structure obstructed the view of the vessel’s rear, reports Breaking News.
The MCIB stated that the victim, a competent swimmer, might have only needed temporary buoyancy to survive, saying:
“If he was longer in the water it could have kept him alive and afloat for the hour or so before he was recovered by rescue helicopter R118, even allowing for the risk of hypothermia.”
Investigators found that just one of five PFDs aboard Lady Pexia was in working order, reports Breaking News.
The report also found that alcohol consumption significantly contributed to the tragedy. A postmortem revealed the victim had a blood alcohol level six times over the legal drink-driving limit — a level considered “toxic” and capable of severely impairing judgement.
Though the skipper said he saw the man drink two cans of cider, the toxicology report suggested much more alcohol had been consumed, reports Breaking News.
The skipper, who sent a distress call at 1:32pm via VHF radio, later noticed a bucket was missing and speculated his friend may have been trying to retrieve it from the water and fell in.
The victim’s body was recovered by an Irish Coast Guard helicopter roughly an hour later, around 0.8 nautical miles offshore.
The MCIB made several safety recommendations. These included advising the skipper to ensure all passengers wear PFDs at all times and to familiarize himself with laws prohibiting the consumption of alcohol or drugs aboard vessels in ways that endanger safety or cause disturbances at sea, reports Breaking News.
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