A PASSENGER who drowned when he fell overboard from a cruise vessel on Lough Derg, Co Tipperary, had been sitting on a safety chain which could not take his weight, according to an official inquiry.
A report by the Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) into the death of Thomas Dalton on July 9th, 2005, says that none of the passengers on board the 12-metre vessel Ku-Ee-Tu interviewed after the incident could recall hearing any safety instructions on boarding the vessel.
Under merchant shipping rules, there is no specific requirement for passengers to be informed of issues relating to their safety during a routine voyage, but a safety announcement must be made at the outset. One of the crew recalled hearing the master giving such an announcement.
The incident occurred during a cruise from Dromineer, Co Tipperary to Garrykennedy on a vessel owned by Shannon Sailing Ltd. The boat had 36 passengers and three crew on board, and weather was fine. A bar and entertainment were provided.
The vessel was close to Ryneduff Point on the lake when Mr Dalton fell off and sank from view in less than 90 seconds, in spite of efforts by the master and crew to assist him.
The MCIB says that the fact that Mr Dalton could not swim and fell backwards, head first, after consuming a quantity of alcohol “probably contributed to this”.
A search by the Irish Coast Guard found Mr Dalton’s body on July 15th. An autopsy concluded he had drowned.
Mr Dalton had been sitting on a safety chain at the embarkation position when he fell overboard. Passengers on such vessels are not required to wear lifejackets. The MCIB report recommends that owners of passenger vessels assess guards and railings for strength and design. This is “especially important for areas not in immediate view of the crew”, it says.