When it all goes wrong
The National Marine Safety Committee has released the Boating Fatalities in Australia 1999 – 2004 Report.
The study is based around the 241 people that died in 196 boating incidents between 1999 and 2004, and average of 48 people per year.
The full press release is available online, but to summarize the findings:
- 77% occurred in favorable to moderate seas.
- 19% of deaths were initiated by capsize
- 10% of deaths were initiated by man overboard incident
- 74% of incidents had an initial contributing factor of human error
- 22% of incidents involved alcohol
- 16% of incidents involved drugs (mainly cannabis)
- The average side of the boats involved in the incidents was 5.9 metres
- Almost half the vessel operators were over the age of 50
- 94% of vessel operators involved in the incidents were male
The high usage of drugs surprises me. Are our waterways full of people stoned out of their brains, or are those using drugs just much more likely to get themselves killed.
The 77% of incidents occurring in favorable to moderate seas just go to show you can never let your guard down.
