Finding into death of Peter Boyle

61y · Male·Drowning

Peter Boyle, 61, drowned in McMillan Strait after jumping into water to free a sail line entangled in his yacht's propeller. He had Parkinson's disease affecting balance and swimming ability, wore only underwear without a life jacket, and misjudged the vessel's drift velocity. A horseshoe life ring thrown to him missed and floated away. Critical omissions included: not wearing an appropriate personal flotation device (PFD) before entering water, not being tethered to the vessel during repairs, lack of safety guidance for mariners with physical disabilities, and inadequate education about lifejacket selection and vessel repair protocols. The coroner recommended Safe Transport Victoria enhance safety material regarding automatic inflatable lifejackets, annual PFD servicing, and tethering procedures for water entry during repairs.