Sailor's Boom Death on 27ft boat
by Des Ryan on 9 Sep 2008
Gybing - watch the boom SW
The latest sailor's death caused by a swinging boom is yet another reminder of the potential dangers of booms at sea. Short of sailors wearing crash helmets, it is an ever present potential for harm.
At three oclock Sunday afternoon, Swansea Coastguard received a Mayday call on VHF Channel 16 from a man on a yacht reporting a man overboard.
The two men were sailing their twenty seven foot sailing sloop called Gun Smoke in the Bristol Channel and were in a position 5 miles south of Rhoose Point when one of the men was hit by the boom of the yacht and knocked into the water.
The remaining man made a distress call immediately. Swansea Coastguard broadcast a mayday relay and secured the assistance straight away of six other vessels. At the same time a rescue helicopter was requested to scramble and a lifeboat from Barry, South Wales and an inshore lifeboat from Minehead, Somerset were requested to launch. All search units were then tasked to search an area as provided by Swansea Coastguard
The man was wearing a lifejacket and was spotted by the helicopter as soon as they arrived on scene. A winch man was lowered and recovered the man unconcious to the helicopter. He was then taken straight to the University of Wales Hospital, Cardiff.
Arwyn Williams from Swansea Coastguard said: 'The sailor remaining on the yacht did the right thing in calling for help straight away, so we could get assistance to him fast so as to help his colleague. Sadly, in this incident, the injured sailor was declared dead at the hospital. This has been a tragic incident, which should have been a pleasurable days sailing.'
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