Real Life Incident: Seven Metre Fall into Water

A bulk carrier was in the final stages of loading a cargo of iron ore. In order to read the outboard side draught marks, a rope ladder was rigged over the side adjacent to the marks. The deck officer on duty – of a large build and overweight – donned a non-inflatable lifevest before descending the ladder. As he neared the bottom of the ladder, about 7 metres below the ship’s deck, he called out to the rating on deck, saying he was having difficulty.

The rating saw the officer struggling to hold on to the ladder and then falling into the water. The rating threw a nearby lifebuoy to the officer, and it landed a few metres away from him. The officer struggled to reach the lifebuoy. However, because of the sea and swell (1.4m sea on a 0.4m swell) and possibly his own physical fitness levels, he was unable to get to it.

After raising the alarm, the rating then climbed down the ladder and entered the water in an attempt to save the officer. The rating had difficulty breathing and swimming in the rough, cold seawater. He was unable to reach the officer, so he returned to the ladder.

Other crew mustered for the rescue. The accommodation ladder and pilot ladder were lowered to the water to assist in the rescue. The crew were able to drag the victim onto the ladder’s lower platform and immediately began cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) while the accommodation ladder was being raised to deck level with the men on its lower platform. Soon, shore paramedics arrived and CPR was continued, but the victim was later declared dead.

An investigation later found that the victim had gone over the side without fall protection on a ladder that was installed upside down.

Lessons learned

• In many cases, little attention is paid to planning apparently straightforward tasks, such as using a rope ladder. This can lead to important considerations not being taken into account, including the experience and physical ability of the persons undertaking the task, as well as the actual installation of the ladder.
• A 7-metre descent (presumably then followed by an ascent) on a rope ladder is a feat that should be attempted only by those who are physically fit.
• A good rule of thumb is that fall protection should be used in cases where a crew member is at risk of falling 2.4 metres or more.
• In this case, the lifejacket worn was well-intentioned but had little effect because the sea conditions were not safe.