Jet skis should be registered with number plates and all users made to undergo training because of a surge in accidents, official investigators said today.
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board (MCIB) has urged a tightening of controls on the watercraft in a report into the drowning of man in Lough Mask, Co Mayo.
Patrick O’Haire, 21, from Clonbur, Co Galway, died after trying to swim ashore in fading light and poor weather when the engine of his jet ski cut out in May, 2007.
The MCIB said a culmination of factors contributed to his death, near Gortmore Bay, including the poor mechanical condition of the watercraft and a lack of training.
It also found that Mr O’Haire was considered to be a very poor swimmer and wore only a buoyancy aid rather than a life jacket.
His friend, Shane Mulroe, whose jet ski also stalled, managed to swim ashore to raise the alarm but Mr O’Haire’s body was recovered from the lake early the next morning.
The MCIB pointed out the Department of Transport’s code of practice advises anyone who gets into difficulty in the water should remain with the jet ski to have the best chance of survival.
It urged jet skiers be made take training, as recommended by the department, while the code of practice be widely distributed to all watercraft users.
It also called for all jet skis to registered and a registration number attached to them which would be visible from a reasonable distance.
All watercraft should be regularly serviced and carry a minimum of life-saving equipment, the official report concluded.
Investigators highlighted the “clear powers” handed to local authorities and councils, under the Marine Safety Act, to designate safe areas and control the use of jet skis.
Mr O’Haire, a bakery worker, had been living for some time in rented accommodation near Tourmakeady, on the banks of Lough Mask.
PA