At about 0800 on 31 May 2020, the 12m wooden-hulled recreational boat Globetrotter was found sinking in 5m of water during a sea-angling trip off the coast of Fleetwood, England. Its owner made a Mayday call shortly before he, his son, and a friend all entered the water. None of the sea anglers were wearing lifejackets or buoyancy aids, but they were able to use Globetrotter’s two lifebuoys to help them remain afloat.
The legs of the owner’s son became entangled in Globetrotter’s anchor rope and despite the exhaustive rescue efforts of the crews of two nearby boats, he was dragged under the water and drowned.
Safety Issues
– Globetrotter was not in a seaworthy condition and was ill-prepared for the voyage
– the owner was an experienced leisure boat user but had little appreciation of the risks he was taking and the importance of passage planning
– the son’s chances of survival would have been increased had he been wearing a personal flotation device
Recommendations
No recommendations have been as a result of the report; however, the MAIB has written to the Royal Yachting Association, the UK Harbour Masters’ Association, the Cruising Association, British Marine, and the Angling Trust to highlight the lessons learned from this accident and other similar accidents and to request assistance with promulgating the advice contained in Emily’s Code to leisure boat users.
Download the report: Globetrotter report