Report on the investigation of a fatal man overboard from the sail training vessel Pelican of London at Sharpness, England on 2 October 2023
Summary:
At 2308 on 2 October 2023, the volunteer relief cook on Pelican of London fell from the top of the vessel’s gangway into the flooded drydock while under the influence of alcohol. His absence was not noted until the next morning and a search was started. In the early afternoon of 3 October 2023, police divers recovered the relief cook’s body to the dockside where he was declared deceased.
The key safety issues identified were:
- The gangway did not provide a safe means of access to Pelican of London.
- On board training and risk assessments did not mitigate the risk of a fall from the gangway.
- The relief cook was above the legal limit for duty on board Pelican of London and the drug and alcohol policy did not specify parameters for crew returning on board from recreational time ashore.
Safety recommendations:
The vessel owners, Seas Your Future, were recommended to review and amend: its policy and training for the rigging and approval of the gangway when used; the risk assessment procedure; and the fleet policy and procedure for dealing with drugs and/or alcohol.
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