Coroner's Finding: PL

7y · Male·head injuries from ejection onto rocky riverbank during boating accident

A 7-year-old boy died from catastrophic head injuries after being ejected from a ski biscuit during a recreational boating accident on the Prosser River in Tasmania. The vessel operator was towing the child at excessive speed (~30 km/h) in a narrow river with rocky banks, in violation of speed regulations requiring 5 knots within 60m of shore. Critical failures included: no safety briefing or instructions to inexperienced children; inadequate observer (11-year-old); use of a single-point tow attachment rather than proper bridle; operation in an inherently dangerous location; and non-compliance with manufacturer warnings limiting speed to 24 km/h for children. The coroner found the Prosser River west of the bridge unsuitable for watersports and recommended prohibition of skiing/ski biscuiting activities there, increased observer age to 16 years, and universal 5-knot speed limit. Preventable through proper safety protocols, appropriate speed limits, and regulatory reform.