Serious injury to a passenger on the sea safari rigid inflatable boat Lundy Explorer Accident - MAIB Investigation Report 11/2025

Summary

On 7 June 2023, the rigid inflatable boat (RIB) Lundy Explorer departed Ilfracombe Harbour for a sea safari trip. While leaving the harbour the boat encountered a high wave, which caused it to slam into an oncoming wave. A passenger sitting in a jockey seat in the front of the RIB, where the highest shock loads were experienced, was dislodged from their seat and suffered a fracture of their spinal column that resulted in permanent paralysis.

Safety issues
    •    the local weather conditions had deteriorated quickly, and this resulted in choppy seas and increased wave heights that Lundy Explorer’s skipper had not expected
    •    the position of the jockey seats at the front of the boat were unsuitable for single occupancy as they exposed passengers to high shock load as the boat slammed into the waves
    •    the pre-departure safety briefing did not include adequate instruction on the use of the seats and the passengers were unaware of the risks
    •    current regulations do not reference safety standards for the design, position and use of seats on high-speed RIBs
      

Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said:

This dreadful accident highlights that even when operating at slow speeds in harbour areas significant injuries can still occur on rigid inflatable boat (RIB) rides when inappropriate seating arrangements are used. The passenger, who suffered life-changing injuries, was seated in the forward part of the vessel, an area well-known to experience the highest shock loads during wave impacts. Despite being in good health and wearing appropriate safety equipment, she was dislodged from her seat and sustained a spinal injury that has resulted in permanent paralysis.
The risk to passengers was significantly increased by the design and use of the front ‘jockey’ seats, combined with insufficient safety briefings and a lack of formalised operational procedures. Sadly, these are not isolated issues. Our previous investigations have shown a pattern of similar injuries occurring, which suggests that safety on commercial RIB operations is a persistent issue that the industry can do more to address.
I urge all operators to take action. Review seating arrangements, give thorough safety briefings before every voyage and conduct risk assessments. The guidance is plentiful, make use of it today.

Source: MAIB