Coroner's Finding: Timson, Peter Anthony
Deceased
Peter Anthony Timson
Demographics
65y, male
Date of death
2021-11-11
Finding date
2022-08-11
Cause of death
Combined effects of hypothermia and drowning following swamping of dinghy in heavy seas
AI-generated summary
Peter Anthony Timson, a 65-year-old retired nurse, died from combined hypothermia and drowning after a small plastic dinghy capsized in heavy seas at Norfolk Bay, Tasmania. Mr Timson and his son borrowed a 2.2m plastic tender designed for 1-2 persons or children, which was unsuitable for their combined weight (exceeding maximum by ~24kg). The vessel was used in windy conditions (gusts to 67 km/h) despite a strong wind warning. The outboard motor's fuel breather was closed, causing fuel starvation and motor problems. Although Mr Timson was a capable, intelligent person with some boating experience, critical decision-making failures included selecting an inappropriate vessel for the conditions and occupants, and not checking equipment setup. His son was rescued after 6 hours; Mr Timson was found deceased the next day. No equipment or mechanical faults were identified, but operational errors and poor judgement contributed to the fatal outcome.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Use of inappropriately small vessel (plastic dinghy rated for 1-2 persons) with combined weight of two adults exceeding maximum capacity by approximately 24 kg
- Adverse weather conditions (wind gusts to 67 km/h, strong wind warning issued) not conducive to use of this dinghy
- Closed fuel breather valve on outboard motor causing fuel starvation
- Disengaged kill switch on motor contributing to initial starting difficulties
- Lack of familiarity with equipment being used
- Poor operational decision-making in selecting vessel and launching in unsuitable conditions
Coroner's recommendations
- MAST to continue and strengthen education campaigns emphasising that safe boating depends on decision-making and sound judgement, not just equipment
- MAST recommendations to include: assessing weather conditions before boating, selecting a vessel fit for purpose for the intended trip, carrying a torch for signalling at night, carrying mobile phone in waterproof pouch, and using a boat appropriate for the number and weight of occupants
- Reject proposal to mandate Personal Locator Beacons on all lifejackets as not warranted and impractical
Full text
Related cases
Source and disclaimer
This page reproduces or summarises information from publicly available findings published by Australian coroners' courts. Coronial is an independent educational resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or acting on behalf of any coronial court or government body.
Content may be incomplete, reformatted, or summarised. All court orders for redaction and non-publication are respected; documents with technically defective redaction have been excluded from the database entirely. Always refer to the original court publication for the authoritative record.
Copyright in original materials remains with the relevant government jurisdiction. AI-generated summaries and tagging are for educational purposes only, may contain inaccuracies, and must not be treated as legal documents. We welcome feedback for correction —