The Seadogz report into an accident on the morning of 22 August 2020 when the commercially operated rigid inflatable boat (RIB) crashed into a 4.5m high, 5-ton channel marker in Southampton Water at a speed of 38.4 knots has been published. The RIB’s engine stopped abruptly and two of the passengers were catapulted overboard into the water, where their lifejackets inflated.
All eleven passengers and the skipper were treated in hospital, most for substantial impact injuries. One, a 15-year-old passenger, had sustained severe injuries when she was thrown against the handhold directly in front of the bench seat. She died in hospital that afternoon.
If you thought taking selfies was without risk, this bizarre story proves otherwise. Have you ever wondered about the dangers of taking a selfie on an unstable vessel for example? Well, here is one such incident. Fortunately, on this occasion, nobody was seriously injured, but it could have been far worse.
