Inquest into the Death of Keven Herbert Leban MILLER (aka Herb Miller)
Deceased
Keven Herbert Leban MILLER
Demographics
53y, male
Date of death
2009-02-12
Finding date
2017-06-13
Cause of death
Open finding - cause of death unable to be determined; possibilities included accidental death, misadventure, or natural causes such as unexpected health event
AI-generated summary
An experienced mariner aged 53 departed Kalbarri on 12 February 2009 in a newly purchased 42-foot fishing boat to sail solo to Useless Loop in Shark Bay, a journey expected to take less than 24 hours. He was never seen again. Despite an extensive four-day search covering over 200,000 square nautical miles using 26 aircraft and multiple vessels, no trace of the deceased or his boat was found. Police investigation concluded he died at sea. The coroner noted that the deceased failed to notify local volunteer rescue services, family, or friends of his departure and expected arrival time, delaying the missing persons report by several days. This case illustrates the critical importance of maritime safety protocols: notifying authorities of voyage plans and expected arrival times, even for experienced seafarers undertaking unfamiliar vessels in challenging conditions.
AI-generated summary and tagging — may contain inaccuracies; refer to original finding for legal purposes.
Contributing factors
- Solo voyage in unfamiliar boat
- Failure to notify authorities or family of departure and expected arrival time
- Unfavourable weather conditions with high winds and large swell
- Night navigation
- Delay in reporting disappearance
- Possible mechanical failure
- Possible sudden health event
Coroner's recommendations
- Those embarking on sea voyages should notify people about their plans before departure
- Mariners should notify local volunteer search and rescue groups of their departure and predicted arrival times
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