MO-1999-209

At about 1200 hours on Friday, 21 May 1999, as the passenger and freight ferry "Arahura" was approaching Picton near the end of a scheduled Wellington to Picton service, the master slowed the vessel to about 5 knots to allow the starboard rescue boat to be launched as part of a drill. As the rescue boat was being lowered, the single quick-release hook attaching the boat to the launching davit released prematurely and the boat fell some 15 m to the sea. A preventer chain fitted as security against such an event parted as the boat fell. One of the 4 crew was left hanging on to a lifeline, 2 crew fell with the boat and suffered serious injuries, and one crew member was fatally injured after managing to hang on momentarily to a lifeline before falling into the boat.

The quick-release hook was not in a good state of repair and failed to carry the load of the rescue boat because it was probably not fully engaged.

Safety issues identified included:
• the crew not being familiar with the safe operation of the rescue boat and its launching system
• the failure to gain maximum safety benefit from a similar non-injury incident some years before the accident
• the loss of "institutional memory" owing to restructuring of management within the operator and the regulator
• the requirement for equal acceptance of a safe ship management system by both shore management and sea staff
• the design and inspection requirements for rescue boats and their launching equipment.

Safety recommendations were made to the managing director of Tranz Rail Limited and the Director of Maritime Safety to address the safety issues.