Fife company heavily fined after passenger seriously injured in boat manoeuvre in Forth

A Fife company has been fined £12,000 after a boat passenger suffered life-changing injuries during a manoeuvre at sea.
The incident at sea which led to the court case (Pic: Teresa Wong-Hui)The incident at sea which led to the court case (Pic: Teresa Wong-Hui)
The incident at sea which led to the court case (Pic: Teresa Wong-Hui)

Isle of May Boat Trips Ltd appeared at Dundee Sheriff Court and pleaded guilty to breaching Section 100 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, relating to the unsafe operation of a vessel.

The collision occurred in July 2016 within the Firth of Forth estuary between Anstruther and the Isle of May.

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Two boats carried out a synchronised manoeuvre which had not been effectively communicated to the passengers during the pre-sail briefing.

While carrying out this move, the larger of the two RHIBs collided with the other causing severe injury to one.

An investigation by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency identified failings in risk assessment, safety briefings and passage planning as factors.

Neil Cunningham, head of the regulatory compliance investigations team, said: “Owners and operators of vessels intending to include an exhilarating element to their trips are reminded to follow the available guidance at all times.”

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