Robinson, Nathan Kevin; Tschannen, Scott
Deceased
Nathan Kevin Robinson and Scott Tschannen
Demographics
male
Date of death
2009-04-24
Finding date
2012-12-10
Cause of death
Drowning due to immersion when prawn trawler sank
AI-generated summary
Two crew members, Nathan Robinson (21) and Scott Tschannen (28), died when the prawn trawler FV Dynasty capsized and sank in Torres Strait. During a port turn in an area known for hook-ups, the nets snagged on the seabed causing heavy port-side heeling. The starboard forestay failed, allowing the boom to swing aft and the vessel to roll beyond recovery. The freezer hatch was open, flooding the hold and worsening stability. Robinson was asleep in the forecastle and Tschannen was in the freezer checking stores; neither could escape. The master survived. Key issues included operating in high-risk waters with an open hatch during vulnerable manoeuvres, the vessel's compliance only with older stability standards via grandfathering provisions, and forestay failure. No evidence suggested negligent maintenance or decision-making by the master in the immediate incident.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Contributing factors
- Vessel nets hooked up on seabed object during port turn in known high-risk area
- Starboard forestay failure causing boom to swing aft and vessel to roll beyond point of recovery
- Open freezer hatch on port side allowing ingress of water and loss of watertight integrity
- Vessel heeled beyond point of return; crew trapped and unable to escape
- Vessel constructed to 1982 standards, compliant only with pre-1996 stability requirements via grandfathering provisions
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