Shock Mitigation Directory

MAIB Report - Serious Injury on Sea Safari RIB

27.08.2025

On 7 June 2023, the RIB ‘Lundy Explorer’ departed Ilfracombe Harbour for a sea safari trip. While leaving 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 was dislodged from their seat and suffered a fracture of their spinal column that resulted in permanent paralysis.

The casualty was a 28 year old female in good health. She sustained a wedge compression fracture to the T12 vertebra and damage to her spinal cord, resulting in paralysis below the fracture. She had no pre-existing conditions, including osteoporosis, that would have contributed to the injury. See MAIB Accident Report PDF below.

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 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."

Captain Moll added, "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."

The RIB operator, Ilfracombe Sea Safari Limited, is recommended to:

1) Implement a safety management system as recommended in the Voluntary Code of Practice - 'Passenger Safety On Small Commercial High Speed Craft & Experience Rides.' This includes a) Operating procedures detailing pre-departure considerations and what actions to take should the conditions change. b) A pre-departure safety brief. c) Risk assessments that accurately reflect potential hazards. d) Use of jockey seats.

2) Install to all company-owned RIBs, sensors that provide real-time measurement of the forces experienced in the boat’s forward section to better enable the person at the helm to protect passengers and crew against the effects of vibrations and shocks. This is in line with MCA Marine Guidance Note 436 - 'Whole Body Vibration: Guidance on Mitigating Against the Effects of Shocks and Impacts on Small Vessels.'

MGN 436 - Whole Body Vibration Guidance >

Marine RS & WBV Awareness Course - 4 Hour >

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