The capsized charter fishing boat i-CatcherTransport Accident Investigation Commission
Accidents
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The Transport Accident Investigation Commission of New Zealand (TAIC) has published its report on its investigation into a vessel capsizing incident that left five people dead in Goose Bay south of Kaikoura on September 10, 2022.
On the said date, the eight-metre aluminium commercial charter fishing vessel i-Catcher was underway with ten embarked passengers photographing birds.
The boat's occupants felt a sudden impact from beneath the hull and the boat capsized. The skipper and five passengers scrambled from the water onto the upturned hull.
Five other passengers were in an air pocket inside the vessel.
The six people on the upturned hull survived and were rescued by responding vessels. New Zealand Police divers later recovered the bodies of the other five passengers in an air pocket heavily contaminated with petrol. All were wearing inflated lifejackets.
TAIC said it is "virtually certain" that impact with a whale near the surface caused the boat to capsize and that defects in the vessel's fuel system enabled fuel to leak into the air pocket of the upturned vessel, reducing the survivability of the accident.
The commission added that the inflated lifejackets worn by the five deceased passengers would have hindered their ability to escape. Other factors included inhalation of petrol fumes in the air pocket; time immersed in the 10°C water; and confinement in a toxic space.
Increased need for improved lifejackets and lifesaving systems
A survey over the thirteen-year commercial service of the boat did not include inspections of the entire fuel system, and critical issues—like an ineffective fuel tank vent—went unnoticed. TAIC is recommending that Maritime New Zealand enhance oversight of the survey system to safeguard vessels and their occupants.
TAIC also determined that incorrectly serviced inflatable lifejackets may not work properly. Currently, anyone can re-pack and re-arm lifejackets that are used commercially, and surveyors are not required to record their servicing history.
TAIC is calling on Maritime New Zealand to work with industry stakeholders to improve safety standards, including recording the servicing and expiry of lifesaving equipment.
TAIC is asking Standards NZ and Maritime NZ to work with international bodies to make lifejacket information clearer— about putting them on and taking them off, deflation, and the risks of inflating under obstruction.
The commission reiterated that getting thrown into water is stressful, debilitating, and disorientating. For anyone surfacing in a confined space and wearing an inflated lifejacket, the most feasible action it to swim underwater to escape, thus necessitating that the lifejacket be as easy to deflate as it is to inflate.
TAIC found that i-Catcher’s emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) was correctly positioned for its type in the cabin but it was out of reach after the capsize. Survivors had to rely on a mobile phone to alert emergency services, but cellphones can be unreliable when wet and they lack full coverage offshore.
TAIC therefore recommends that crews on vessels that carry passengers have a personal locator beacon as an extra way to send a distress signal.
Improvements needed in New Zealand's emergency response system
The commission also found delays in coordinating the search and rescue did not change the outcome in this case but highlight the need for better planning for future emergencies.
First, crucial information sharing was delayed by incompatible communication platforms across the emergency services. TAIC is calling for reviews and improvements by the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment and the Next Generation Critical Communications agency.
Vital access to the NZ Police National Dive Squad was delayed because procedures meant they weren't called on or involved early enough. TAIC recommends that NZ Police address this gap.
Every region with a lot of people using the water should have a maritime rescue plan. However, in the Kaikoura region, there was no established plan or training for responders to work together efficiently. TAIC recommends Tasman District Police, the rescue coordination centre and others work together on such a plan.
Oceania
incidents
New Zealand
Transport Accident Investigation Commission
i Catcher
