Boy Airlifted To Hospital After Rigid Inflatable Boat Overturns

[Polwart]

From MCGA website:

Originally Posted by http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/press-releases?id=B211A710EADA9800&m=7&y=2008

Yesterday evening Holyhead Coastguard received a 999 call from a mobile phone concerning a group of three Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) with 20 students and 3 instructors from the National Watersport Centre at Plas Menai reporting that one of the RIBs had capsized. The RIB had capsized on the Mussel bank which is outside the Menai Strait, but on the Caernarfon Bar.

The Coastguard were informed that all persons were accounted for but requested the attendance of Beaumaris RNLI ILB as a precaution.

The Llandwrog Coastguard Rescue Team along with the inshore lifeboat from Beaumaris were asked to attend with the team sent to Fort Belan to provide observation.

At just before 9.00 pm staff from Plas Menai advised the Coastguard that one of the casualties had hit their head when the RIB capsized and was drifting in and out of consciousness.

A rescue helicopter was immediately scrambled and the injured lad, aged 15, suffering from hypothermia with an Instructor from Plas Menai, were subsequently airlifted from the beach at Abermenai Point (a spit of sand opposite Fort Belan) and taken to Bangor hospital. The hospital later reported the boy was comfortable. All the 20 students were from the King Edward School in Bath.

Barry Priddis, Watch Manager at Holyhead Coastguard said

My concern is that the Coastguard were not informed of this event and weather conditions were South easterly winds of force 5 in a flooding tide.

Conditions on Caernarfon Bar were quite rough according to local crews. The capsized RIB has not yet been recovered, but full details are now held with the Coastguard as to its location.

[yoyo]

I recall that Jono Garton encountered a similar incident in this area a couple of years back, which shows even the very experienced skippers can be caught out!

I often see the NWC training in this area; the conditions are often rough with strong tides even on the nicest of days.

[PeterM]

So were there average 7 or 8 in each boat ? I would have hoped that in this case they were a good size (6m + at least )as in poor conditions with less then ' experienced' passengers I would not want 4 /5 in a boat. From what I have seen most of these types of outings run boats less that 6m.

Just my inital thought as I dont know the full story of what has happened.

[codprawn]

The late Shaun white always used to issue his passengers with canoists helmets and they proved their worth when one of his large RIBs capsized. a brilliant idea even though not a legal requirement.

[Top banana]

Originally Posted by yoyo

I recall that Jono Garton encountered a similar incident in this area a couple of years back, which shows even the very experienced skippers can be caught out!

I often see the NWC training in this area; the conditions are often rough with strong tides even on the nicest of days.

yes you recall correct, jono turned a 5m assault over on the bar, but the difference being, he was there surfing 3m standing waves, all in the form of pleasure, not with a boat full of school kids. It could of been far worse than had turned out.I allso think that the coast guard should of recieved a passage plan of the trip, esspecially with the ammount of kids involved.
Be interesting to find out the full story

[Polwart]

Originally Posted by Top banana

It could of been far worse than had turned out.I allso think that the coast guard should of recieved a passage plan of the trip, esspecially with the ammount of kids involved.

the CG expressed a similar view - but I don't see what value filing a passage plan with the CG would have actually brought?

there were presumably people on shore at plas menai who knew where the boats were going, who was on board and when they would be back. Equally they weren't on their own they had 3 boats so, as they demonstrated, were capable of dealing with most emergencies reasonably well without external help. As far as I can tell from the press release and news reports they seem to have dealt with things fairly well once the preverbial hit the fan.

should they have been there? no doubt the MAIB will say no - but actually they were on some sort of adventure holiday - so I would expect they were doing all sort of things with a degree of risk/excitement involved. there seems to be some emphasis on the fact that these were "children". They were presumably reasonably fit and healthy teenagers so possibly more suited to this sort of activity and circumstance than many older people who pay good money for adventure rib rides.

the CG frequently complain that they don't get passage plans from people but we know from our discussions here they don't do anything with them anyway and I am not convinced in busy areas, at busy times that the CG could cope with everyone filing plans for every trip.

Be interesting to find out the full story

as ever we are guessing the exact circumstances! however if it anything like the investigation into the army cadet capsize in scotland last year it will take two investigations to even establish the facts!

[Top banana]

[

the CG frequently complain that they don't get passage plans from people but we know from our discussions here they don't do anything with them anyway and I am not convinced in busy areas, at busy times that the CG could cope with everyone filing plans for every trip.


But this isnt any instance, it was late evening in a quiet part of the country,
with adverse conditions reported on the bar and 20 or so"students" out on adventure activities. yet sheltered through the straits,no ones implying that they shouldnt of been there enjoying there activities, but had the coast guard been informed of there activities,then any initial reports of an incident could of been dealt with differently as a first response.and then argue later weather it was a waste of time or not.
thankfully events turned out ok.

[DGR]

Hmm...

As far as I know, Plas Menai's RIBS are not coded - operating under the RYA 'exemption' (or whatever it's called).

Surely that means that if the boats were running under these regs, then they should be using the RYA instructor/student ratios - 6/1 or 3/1, not 7 or 8/1.

When my RIB was coded, I had to have seats for all passengers - last time I saw Plas' RIBS they didn't have seats for more than 4.

It will be interesting to see what the MAIB come up with - and what they decide the boats were being used for. RYA activities (too many students) or commercial activity when not coded.

D...

[waverunner]

Yesterday evening Holyhead Coastguard received a 999 call from a mobile phone concerning a group of three Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) with 20 students and 3 instructors from the National Watersport Centre at Plas Menai reporting that one of the RIBs had capsized.


Did they not have a VHF radio?

[Top banana]

Originally Posted by waverunner

Yesterday evening Holyhead Coastguard received a 999 call from a mobile phone concerning a group of three Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) with 20 students and 3 instructors from the National Watersport Centre at Plas Menai reporting that one of the RIBs had capsized.


Did they not have a VHF radio?

Which makes you think did the other two vesells from plas menai that were allso on excersise first contact plas menai about the incident before contacting the coast guard, wasting valuable time.