Too few lifejackets on tragic trip
Not enough lifejackets has been identified as a key reason eight people died when the charter fishing vessel Francie foundered in rough conditions.
The boat, with a skipper and 10 passengers, was trying to cross the Kaipara Harbour Bar on November 26, 2016, after fishing off the coast. By the time the group tried to re-enter the harbour, an ebbing tide and developing swell had caused steep waves, breaking in several directions.
A Transport Accident Investigation Commission report, released yesterday, said the Francie was struck from behind by a large breaking wave as it tried to cross the bar, causing it to roll heavily, before capsizing and sinking.
Witnesses and Coastguard crew estimated waves were 4-8m high.
Only three people on board were wearing lifejackets when the boat capsized. Eight of the 11 people died.
The commission found conditions at the bar were predictably unsuitable for the Francie to cross, and noted skipper Bill McNatty was known to cross when conditions were too rough.
Its report said the skipper would show people where the lifejackets were but didn’t insist they be worn. Three of the people had brought lifejackets and wore them. The skipper and the others were not wearing lifejackets when the boat departed.
The report said it was “virtually certain” lives could have been saved if lifejackets were worn properly, including crotch straps to stop them riding up and slipping over the head.
One survivor stayed afloat only by finding two lifejackets floating nearby. They were too small for him, but he put an arm through each neck hole, and clung to a piece of timber. One who died had worn his own lifejacket, but it was found separate from his body. It did not have a crotch strap. Chief investigator Captain Tim Burfoot said skippers should always exercise extreme caution when crossing harbour bars because conditions could change rapidly.
“It’s very likely that only three of the 11 on board were wearing lifejackets at the time, and no one was wearing a lifejacket provided on board in accordance with the Maritime Rules. It’s virtually certain that they would all have had a better chance of survival had they all worn lifejackets.”
The commission has recommended commercial vessels carry lifejackets to suit the vessel’s place and time of operation, and that crotch straps be fitted to lifejackets on commercial vessels that operate out of bar harbours and on exposed coastlines. It also recommends recreational users be encouraged to fit crotch straps to lifejackets.
It also found there were problems with raising safety concerns, because there was no dedicated, formal process within Maritime NZ to report them.
“The skipper of the Francie had a propensity to accept a high level of risk when deciding whether to cross the Kaipara Harbour Bar,” Burfoot said. “Others in the industry and community knew this, but it wasn’t reported to authorities.”
It has recommended Maritime NZ set up a way to report maritime safety concerns and ensure the method is advertised.
[Bill McNatty] had a propensity to accept a high level of risk . . . Others in the industry and community knew this. Tim Burfoot