MARITIME AND
COASTGUARD AGENCY News Release (119_07) issued by The Government
News Network on 24 April 2004
On 13th August
2005, the dive boat Sovereign II owned by Sovereign Diving Limited
and skippered by Christopher Wilson sailed on a diving trip from
Seahouses to the Farne Islands with a party of nine divers.
The trip turned to tragedy when one of the divers Michael Ward of
Loughborough in Leicestershire, was struck by the propellers as he
was returning to the boat. He lost his left leg and suffered such
severe injury to his right leg that it has been pinned and cannot
be flexed. The quick reactions of his dive buddy and nearby
charter boat called Moby, ensured that Mr Ward was taken back to
port quickly where a doctor and nurses who were passing by gave
help. A trauma surgeon, who was diving nearby, also sped back to
Seahouses where he took charge of the medical team and accompanied
Mr Ward to Newcastle General Hospital.
Investigations by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA)
revealed that the skipper Christopher Wilson did not hold the
necessary certificate of competence to be in charge of the boat.
Mr Wilson was employed by Sovereign Divers Ltd as crew on their
passenger boat Sovereign IV. However when the skipper of Sovereign
II left in early July, Wilson was made skipper. He had been
sailing as skipper without a certificate of competence for five or
six weeks before the incident date.
In Newcastle Crown Court on Monday 16th April 2007, Mr Toby
Douglas, a director of Sovereign Diving Ltd., and Christopher
Wilson, the skipper of Sovereign II, pleaded guilty to a breach of
the Code of Practice for Small Commercial Vessels, also known as
the "yellow code".
Sovereign Diving was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £3,500
towards costs, and Christopher Wilson was fined £500 and was
ordered to pay £500 towards costs.
Captain Allan Marsh, Enforcement Officer stated "This was a
very tragic incident. Owners and Skippers of dive vessels are
reminded that they are responsible for ensuring full compliance
with the Code of Practice and that their vessels are operated in a
safe manner.
When involved in diving operations, the MCA recommends that
propeller guards are fitted.
In this case, the Sovereign II was a single handed operation. The
owner/managing agent should ensure that there are sufficient
additional crew on board having regard to the type and duration of
voyage being undertaken."
In passing sentence on Tuesday 24th April 2007, the His Honour
judge John Evans said
"This case demonstrates all too unhappily two things.
Firstly, that underwater diving, whether it be commercial or
pleasure based, is a potentially hazardous activity. Secondly,
that it demonstrates that there is a need to carefully regulate
the way that those who are involved with it either as a sport or a
business go about it, that includes not just the divers
themselves, but equally their support crew.
"The dangers in this case graphically demonstrate the
dangers of this activity. What happens off the Blue Cap Rocks on
the 13th August 2005, and the outcome for Mr Ward which left him
with severe injuries should serve as a constant reminder in the
future of these principles."
Press releases and further information about the Agency is
available on the Web at http://www.mcga.gov.uk