MO-1996-202

On Saturday, 2 March 1996, at approximately 1230 hours, the rigid inflatable passenger craft "Uruao", while engaged on a whale-watching trip off Kaikoura Peninsula, suffered a catastrophic failure of the bags that secured her buoyancy pontoons in place and capsized approximately three minutes later. One passenger was trapped under the capsized craft and drowned. The causal factor was the loss of stability experienced when all four buoyancy pontoons were lost. Safety issues identified included maintenance procedures and stability requirements for rigid inflated craft.