Coroner's Finding: Benneworth, Anthony John

67y · Male·Drowning

Anthony Benneworth, aged 67, drowned following a boating accident at Ansons Bay, Tasmania. The vessel capsized after taking on water through poorly maintained inspection covers and unplugged drain holes in the outboard motor pod. The bilge pump was inoperable. Although Mr Benneworth was wearing a life jacket, he was in acute panic when entering the water and failed to manually inflate it, possibly confusing it with the self-inflating jacket he used at other locations. He had not refreshed his knowledge of the inflation procedure before the trip. The death was preventable through proper vessel maintenance, functional bilge pumps, and pre-departure familiarisation with life jacket inflation procedures. His companion Mr Long drowned without wearing a life jacket despite being told to put one on.