Australian domestic commercial vessel incidents in June 2017

In June 2017 a number of incidents involving domestic commercial vessels were reported to the AMSA. Of these, seven were serious incidents.

• A passenger suffered a heart attack while boarding a whale-watching tour and could not be revived.
• A passenger on a charter vessel suffered serious injuries when their leg got caught in a sail line as the wind direction changed. The person was taken to hospital for treatment.
• A deckhand on a passenger vessel was struck by a plasma line as it was being transferred between vessels. The deckhand was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
• A moored barge was being prepared for sail when a crew member was injured falling down a set of stairs. The person was taken to hospital for treatment.
• A contractor doing maintenance on a work boat received an electric shock while operating a 240v grinder. The person was taken to hospital for assessment. AMSA reminds you to only use power sockets protected by residual current devices (RCDs).
• An aquaculture vessel that was under construction caught fire while hot work was being carried out. Four workers were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation.
• A rescue vessel was performing towing manoeuvres when a crew member lost their balance and fell into the water. The person was brought back on board with minor injuries.