Belgian Pilot Critically Injured in Fall From Pilot Ladder
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[Brief] <\/em>In the early hours of Monday morning, a marine pilot was seriously injured while boarding a vessel from a pilot boat.\u00a0<\/p>\n At about 0015 hours Monday, a 66-year-old pilot was transferring from a boat of the Belgian Pilotage Service to a ship. While climbing the pilot ladder, he fell a distance of about 20 feet back onto the pilot boat, sustaining severe injuries.\u00a0<\/p>\n The pilot was evacuated to a hospital in the town of Goes for urgent treatment, and was reportedly in critical condition. He was later transferred to another hospital in Antwerp.<\/p>\n The cause of the accident is under investigation. Belgian media services report that the victim was set to retire next month.<\/p>\n The climb from a moving pilot boat up the side of a moving ship involves risk, and tragic pilot ladder accidents are all too frequent. SOLAS V Regulation 23 provides specific measures for pilot ladder arrangements and equipment, but many marine pilots report that these rules are not always followed. \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \t
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