Urgent safety lessons issued after the failure of a throw bag rescue line during a boat capsize rescue drill.

Published 6 years ago, updated 5 years ago

Read this bulletin in full at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/safety-bulletin-22018-published

A defective throw bag rescue line was discovered while Warrington Rowing Club was conducting boat capsize drills for new rowers at Halton Baths in Cheshire, UK. A 15m long polypropylene rescue line in a throw bag, supplied by Riber Products Limited (RIBER), parted (Figure 1) while a young person in the water was being pulled to the side of the pool during a simulated rescue. There were no injuries. The rowing club safety advisor subsequently found another throw bag with a defective rescue line that had been purchased from the same supplier. RIBER was informed and the company contacted its customers after identifying a batch of 208 throw bags that could be at risk. A further three defective rescue lines have been identified as a consequence of the customer warning notice posted on Facebook

Considering the potentially serious consequences of a throw bag rescue line failing in a real lifesaving situation, the MAIB is conducting a safety investigation