Failure of fall wire – fatality

  • Safety Flash
  • Published on 29 June 2011
  • Generated on 9 May 2025
  • IMCA SF 05/11
  • 1 minute read

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published Safety Bulletin 2/11 regarding an overweight rescue boat causing the failure of a fall wire and subsequent fatality.

The incident is summarised here:

During a ‘routine’ drill conducted in sheltered waters, the fall wire attached to a rescue boat parted. The incident occurred at the point when the rescue boat had been hoisted to its stowed position. The rescue boat and its four crew fell nearly 29 metres into the water below. One of the boat’s crew died and two were hospitalised.

Further information can be found here.

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