Inquest into the Death of Paul Gregory CLIFTON
Deceased
Paul Gregory CLIFTON
Demographics
49y, male
Date of death
2013-06-02
Finding date
2015-10-23
Cause of death
Complications arising from immersion (drowning)
AI-generated summary
Paul Clifton, an experienced 49-year-old skipper, died from complications of immersion (drowning) after his recreational fishing boat sank unexpectedly in open water near Lancelin, Western Australia on 2 June 2013. The boat took on water rapidly for unknown reasons; when the engine was started to move the boat, water rushed to the stern causing it to upend and sink within minutes. Although lifejackets were available, they were unsuitable Type 2 jackets rather than required Type 1, and could not be properly secured in the rapid sinking. The EPIRB was lost when the boat went down. The deceased struggled in cold, choppy water, became exhausted and hypothermic, and lost consciousness before rescue. Key preventable factors included: inadequate lifejacket standards, lack of proper pre-voyage safety briefing, EPIRB not attached to a person, and failure to radio in before departure. The coroner recommended mandating lifejacket wearing in unprotected waters and highlighted the importance of proper safety equipment maintenance and education.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Error types
Clinical conditions
Contributing factors
- Boat sank rapidly for undetermined reason causing water ingress
- Inadequate Type 2 lifejackets instead of required Type 1 jackets
- Lifejackets not properly secured before immersion
- EPIRB not attached to person, lost when boat sank
- No pre-departure radio check-in with rescue group
- No safety briefing conducted before departure
- Hypothermia and exhaustion from prolonged immersion in cold water
- Rapid onset of unconsciousness in water
- Respiratory difficulty and water aspiration
Coroner's recommendations
- The Department of Transport should give strong consideration in its review of recreational vessel safety requirements to mandating the wearing of lifejackets by persons over 12 months old on recreational vessels in Western Australia when such a vessel is in unprotected waters.
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