The questions that must be asked after brave little girl rescued at sea

The story of a six-year-old girl miraculously clinging to a coffin for three hours after a boat capsized between Karoko and Rabi Island is amazing.

The incident happened at 8.30pm. The mishap was in the dark in open sea.

The little girl was travelling with her mother and others in a boat carrying the body of a 55-year-old man. She was unaccounted for when a head count was done. The others either swam ashore or were rescued.

The boat reportedly did not carry life jackets. It is not known whether it was carrying other safety and emergency kits. If it didn’t then it was a disaster waiting to happen.

All sea-going vessels should be certified before they are allowed to sail. Among the requirements are life jackets and other safety gear, especially for passenger boats. Vessels need lights at night. It is unclear whether the ill-fated boat had lights.

Other questions that need to be asked are:

Was the boat overloaded?

Were the sea conditions suitable for sailing?

Did the boat captain obtain the latest weather Bulletin before he set sail?

This incident probably highlights the common violation of marine regulations in the maritime zone.

If there is a regular check on boat operations the Marine Department might make some interesting discoveries. It will also send out a clear message that all boats must be registered after complying with the safety requirements. We must adopt the same system that is used for land transport. For a car to be on the road it must pass a warrant of fitness test for road worthiness before renewal of registration is given.

Unless we enforce the law and tighten the rules, boat accidents will continue. It was fortunate that there was no loss of life. The next time we might not be so lucky.