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After a fatal pilot transfer in January 2023, pressure is mounting on the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to tighten safety requirements for non-SOLAS vessels. The Nautical Institute reports that new guidance is being sought to ensure ships carry effective alternatives for recovering unconscious persons from the water.
The incident occurred on 8 January 2023, when a Humber pilot fell from a pilot ladder while boarding the ro-ro cargo ship Finnhawk from the pilot vessel Humber Saturn. According to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the pilot likely suffered a cardiac event during the transfer, hit the deck of the pilot boat, and then fell into the sea unconscious.
Although the pilot was retrieved using a semi-submerged man-overboard platform, technical defects meant the platform could not be lifted. He remained partly immersed in cold water for more than 40 minutes before a lifeboat arrived. Despite being airlifted to hospital by coastguard helicopter, he later died.
The MAIB investigation exposed multiple safety shortcomings. A medical certificate issued six months earlier had incorrectly declared the pilot fit for duty despite several chronic health conditions. In addition, pilots involved had not received training in sea survival, first aid, and CPR in line with IMO and industry standards.
As a result, the MAIB has urged the MCA to mandate alternative recovery systems for unconscious casualties on non-SOLAS vessels. Associated British Ports has been advised to reassess risks, improve pilot PPE for cold-water conditions, and update training regimes. Port industry bodies have also been called on to strengthen occupational standards and PPE guidance for marine pilots.
MAIB Chief Inspector Andrew Moll described the accident as deceptively simple but underlined that it revealed deeper issues across medical standards, training, equipment, and emergency response. He called on all harbour authorities providing pilotage services to take the lessons from this tragedy seriously and act on them.
After a fatal pilot transfer in January 2023, pressure is mounting on the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to tighten safety requirements for non-SOLAS vessels. The Nautical Institute reports that new guidance is being sought to ensure ships carry effective alternatives for recovering unconscious persons from the water.
The incident occurred on 8 January 2023, when a Humber pilot fell from a pilot ladder while boarding the ro-ro cargo ship Finnhawk from the pilot vessel Humber Saturn. According to the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), the pilot likely suffered a cardiac event during the transfer, hit the deck of the pilot boat, and then fell into the sea unconscious.
Although the pilot was retrieved using a semi-submerged man-overboard platform, technical defects meant the platform could not be lifted. He remained partly immersed in cold water for more than 40 minutes before a lifeboat arrived. Despite being airlifted to hospital by coastguard helicopter, he later died.
The MAIB investigation exposed multiple safety shortcomings. A medical certificate issued six months earlier had incorrectly declared the pilot fit for duty despite several chronic health conditions. In addition, pilots involved had not received training in sea survival, first aid, and CPR in line with IMO and industry standards.
As a result, the MAIB has urged the MCA to mandate alternative recovery systems for unconscious casualties on non-SOLAS vessels. Associated British Ports has been advised to reassess risks, improve pilot PPE for cold-water conditions, and update training regimes. Port industry bodies have also been called on to strengthen occupational standards and PPE guidance for marine pilots.
MAIB Chief Inspector Andrew Moll described the accident as deceptively simple but underlined that it revealed deeper issues across medical standards, training, equipment, and emergency response. He called on all harbour authorities providing pilotage services to take the lessons from this tragedy seriously and act on them.
