A report into the death of a sailor during the Newport Bermuda Race last year, has reopened the debate of whether wearing a lifejacket is a matter of personal choice.
In the conclusion to its report into the death of Colin Golder, who died when he went overboard from his Centurion 42 Morgan of Marietta, US Sailing commented: “It is often said that wearing such equipment is a ‘personal decision.’ We disagree. Any time a person goes overboard, the entire crew is at risk.
“For that reason, all crewmembers should be trained to actively promote safety requirements and standards, ensure that all crewmembers comply with them, and be prepared to challenge each other with respect to safety issues.”
Golder, 74, was not wearing a harness with a tether or lifejacket at the time of the incident, which took place two days into the race. The crew, many of whom were clipped onto the boat with two tethers, reported that the yacht was hit by a large wave, and Golder was washed over the top of the leeward lifelines and into the water. Conditions at the time were 25-knot gusts and 3m (10ft) waves, and the boat was sailing at 8-10 knots.
Morgan of Marietta’s crew executed man overboard procedures immediately, maintaining a visual and within five minutes had thrown Golder a lifesling, which he was able to swim into. However, when the crew brought Golder alongside the boat, he lost consciousness and slipped out of the lifesling. The crew struggled to retrieve Golder, who weighed in the region of 18-20 stone
