[BBC News] Solway life rafts 'not serviced'

[Newsbot]

An inquiry into the sinking of a fishing boat is told its life rafts had not been serviced for years before the tragedy.

 

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotla...and/7471637.stm

[Max Power]

I was under the impression that the boat sank rapidly with no chance to even try to launch the life boats. They do not indicate that any fault existed with the lifeboats, just that they should have been serviced, should a certificate have been issued without proof of this service?

This man seems to be being continuously called to answer accusations which should have come up at the original enquiry.

[Pale Rider]

I was under the impression that the boat sank rapidly with no chance to even try to launch the life boats. They do not indicate that any fault existed with the lifeboats, just that they should have been serviced, should a certificate have been issued without proof of this service?

This man seems to be being continuously called to answer accusations which should have come up at the original enquiry.

 

Thing is, if he didn't bother to get the lifeboats serviced, it could point to a lack of general maintenance.

 

The following was taken from a report regarding the findings of the sinking previously:

 

The report found that there were critical maintenance issues, including a flood alarm that did not work and a missing hatch cover. Water had drained unnoticed into the fish room through the deck scuttles, which had not been covered. The pump was blocked and the broken bilge alarm meant that the flooding went unnoticed by the crew.

 

Also the fish room on the boat flooded twice previously, once in 1997 and again in 1999 thankfully without such tragic consequences. However the owner said he was unaware of these previous incidents.