Tender Safety: The Milly Report

 

Report No 5/2014. Published 30 January 2014

Report Name: Milly
Incident date: 05 May 2013 
Category: Leisure

 

Summary:

This reports the MAIB’s investigation into a fatal accident on 5 May 2013 when the Milligan family (2 adults and their 4 children) were ejected from their RIB Milly during a family day out on the Camel estuary, near Padstow, Cornwall. The RIB continued to circle round the family, striking a number of them and causing two fatalities and seriously injuring two others.

The key safety issues identified were:

• A Kill cord was not attached to the driver at the time of the accident.

• The drivers were unprepared for the boat’s reaction when it was turned at speed and then “hooked” as they did not have the level of boat handling skills required to control such a turn.

• Trials undertaken on the boat found that it developed a high angle of heel when turned at high speeds. Occupants should be seated, holding on and as far aft as possible when boats are travelling at speed. 
  
  

Milly Report

Annexes

At the London Boat Show 2014, the RYA launched the first of its annual Safety Advisory Notices, as an easily accessible digest of current safety issues. The first Critical Safety Issue provides the RYA's advice on the importance of always wearing a kill cord.

View the full RYA Safety Advsisory Notice 01/2014