THE GOVERNMENT should consider mandatory training of drivers of jet-skis due to the "escalating" number of emergency rescue incidents involving the craft in Irish waters, the Marine Casualty Investigation Board has said.
The board also says that adequate strapping on lifejackets could make the difference between life and death, following an inquiry into the drowning of a west Cork fisherman.
The fisherman could have been saved if his personal flotation device had been fitted with a crotch strap to prevent it slipping over his head, the inquiry found.
The investigation concerned the loss of Jer O'Driscoll when his fishing vessel capsized off Poleen harbour, Castletownbere, Co Cork, in September,2006
He and William Power had gone drift net fishing in a 17-foot fibreglass punt. Both men wore personal flotation devices which inflate automatically on contact with water. About a quarter of the gear had been recovered when a wave swamped the boat.
On examination, it was found that Mr O'Driscoll's personal flotation device was tightly buckled, but the fisherman had slipped out of the upper harness due to the absence of a crotch strap. His head and upper body were therefore not supported.The report noted that both men had undergone basic sea survival training and had put this into effect, although they had no marine radio or method of communication on board and had no distress flares. Mr Power had done "everything possible" to save Mr O'Driscoll.
The report says that any open boat classed for open water should have sufficient buoyancy installed to survive swamping, and the board says that the Maritime Safety Directorate should consider recommending mandatory carriage of distress flares on such vessels. Fishermen using such craft should also be encouraged to carry hand-held VHF radios in waterproof pouches, it says.
A separate report into a collision involving two jet-skis in Casla Bay, Co Galway, on October 2nd, 2006 found that the two craft had accelerated to 40 knots before the crash occurred in near darkness.
The swell created by the speed threw one craft up on top of the other, causing serious injuries to one of the two drivers, David Folan.
The rescue was effected by a friend, Padraic Mullen, who was following the two jet-skis in a rigid inflatable. Mr Folan spent two weeks in hospital with a punctured lung, three broken ribs and a broken right leg, compounded by deep lacerations.
Both jet-ski drivers had experience, but the report notes that the Rossaveal fishery harbour centre prohibits any craft from travelling at speeds over five knots in Casla Bay. It says that due to the "escalating incidence of jet-ski accidents," the Department of Transport should "explore the feasibility of mandatory training".