Deceased
Damian Alan Benson
Demographics
15y, male
Date of death
1998-07-26
Finding date
2000-11-17
Cause of death
salt water drowning
AI-generated summary
Damian Alan Benson, aged 15, died by salt water drowning in the Southern Ocean near Carpenter Rocks, South Australia on 26 July 1998 during a fishing trip with his father. They departed in a 25-30 year old dinghy with a repaired aluminium hull, reduced buoyancy, and pin-hole leaks. The dinghy lacked a forward seat for buoyancy, and the stern plate where the outboard motor attached was cracked. No life jackets were mentioned as being worn. The boat was found abandoned on the beach the next day. While the father's partial skeletal remains were recovered, the son's body was never found. This case highlights risks associated with unseaworthy vessels, inadequate buoyancy provisions, and potentially insufficient safety equipment for recreational boating in an unpredictable ocean environment with numerous reefs and freak waves.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes. Report an inaccuracy.
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