‘Propensity for risk’ cost eight lives at sea
William McNatty was known for risky sailings: It cost the skipper and seven of his passengers their lives when his vessel sank.
Of the 11 on board the Francie, a charter vessel that sank in Kaipara Harbour in north Auckland in 2016, it is very likely only three were wearing lifejackets at the time it went down, the Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) ruled in a report released yesterday.
McNatty, and passengers Fred Marsters, Sunia Ungo’unga, Alipate Manumu’a, Tevita Tangi, Fonua Taufa, Auerua Aria, and Taulagi Afamasaga all died when the vessel overturned as it crossed the Kaipara Bar, at the entrance to the harbour.
Three others survived – one swimming to Muriwai Beach and the other two winched to safety by the Auckland Westpac rescue helicopter.
McNatty, the report found, had a propensity to accept a high level of risk when deciding whether to cross the Kaipara Harbour Bar, chief investigator Captain Tim Burfoot said.
While others in the industry and community knew that, it wasn’t reported to authorities.
The TAIC has recommended Maritime NZ develop a process where boaties and others can confidentially report maritime safety concerns.
Walter Marsters said the report confirmed a fair amount of the blame for his brother’s death rested on McNatty’s shoulders.
‘‘He’s the guy that made the decision to go over the bar.’’
The conditions were predictably unsuitable at the time the Francie crossed the bar, the report said.
Three of the eight people who died wore their own lifejackets.
But the lifejackets were not the type recommended for a trip across the Kaipara Bar, Burfoot said. One did not have a crotch strap, the other two were buoyancy aids.
‘‘The waves were high, steep, and breaking in several directions, and one of them struck the Francie behind, causing it to roll heavily and capsize,’’ said Burfoot.
‘‘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,’’ Burfoot said.
Those chances would have been even greater had the lifejackets had crotch straps to prevent the vests from riding up, the report noted.
However, Steve MacGregor, commodore at the Kaipara Cruising and Sports Fishing Club where McNatty was once a member, disputed the findings.
MacGregor said TAIC’s finding that lifejackets would have made a difference in those conditions was ‘‘debatable’’.
Marsters said his brother was safety conscious and refused to go across the bar in treacherous conditions two weeks earlier, over the objections of fellow passengers on the charter.
MacGregor said very few fishermen in the area now took charters across the bar after the disaster, when once it had been a lot more common.
He thought the rest of the community would welcome the report saying it was ‘‘a lesson learned for all of us’’.
‘‘As humans we all get complacent.’’
‘‘The waves were high ... breaking in several directions.’’ Captain Tim Burfoot