In a tragic accident, the failure by a skipper to wear a personal flotation device, harness and tether, caused his death when he was washed overboard during the 2022 Newport-Bermuda race in June 2022 is the finding from a review by US Sailing.
Colin Golder was racing the Centurion 42, Morgan of Marietta, when he went overboard on 19 June 200 miles off the US east coast. Despite the efforts of the crew, which rescued Colin in challenging seas, he died soon after, most likely from drowning.
US Sailing’s review and subsequent report of the incident attribute his death primarily to the failure to wear a personal flotation device and tether, asserting that had he been doing so, like the other watch members, he would not have been washed overboard when his yacht, which he owned and skippered, was hit by a large wave.
“If you fall overboard while sailing offshore, your chance of death increases dramatically,” say the authors of the report. “Staying attached to the boat is critical to minimising this risk.”
The report also stresses that wearing a personal flotation device is ‘not a personal choice’ and that a person overboard puts the whole crew at risk.
The report says, “We recommend that the Safety Equipment Requirements should be expressly rewritten to emphasise that ALL crew members bear responsibility for acknowledging and enforcing requirements associated with good seamanship, and that skippers expressly instruct their crews in this regard.”
The report commends the seven crew members for their proper execution of person overboard procedures but nonetheless makes further recommendations, including urging crews to undergo training on how to use a lifesling and recover a stricken crew member, how better to use external communications, the importance of safety briefings and the appointing of a second in command and identifying medically-trained crew members.
Download the report: Morgan of Marietta Reort
