Today, we have published our accident investigation report into the grounding and loss of the motor vessel Channel Queen as it passed over a wreck near the Needles lighthouse, Isle of Wight while escorting a relay swim event around the island on 20 July 2023.
Chief Inspector of Marine Accidents, Andrew Moll OBE, said:
Once the hull of Channel Queen was holed it was fortunate that the boat was beached before it could sink, which gave the occupants time to disembark safely. In only slightly different circumstances the outcome could have been much more serious. The four stages of passage planning: appraisal, planning, execution and monitoring, are well tried and tested. Had they been followed during this event, particularly as Channel Queen was operating very close inshore, the accident could have been avoided.
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