Inquest into the Death of Murray Allan TURNER and Mason Laurence CARTER and Chad Alan FAIRLEY

Male·immersion (drowning) for Murray Turner; unascertained but likely immersion for Chad Fairley and Mason Carter

Three men died when the fishing vessel Returner capsized in Nickol Bay, Western Australia on 11 July 2015. The vessel had undergone extensive modifications by owner Murray Turner (age 57) without proper stability assessment. Critical ballast was removed and heavy equipment added without disclosure to the surveyor. The DoT surveyor relied on owner representations rather than independent verification and failed to order mandatory stability testing despite visible major modifications. The modified vessel was 35% less stable than its original 1985 configuration and lacked reserve stability in the prevailing sea conditions. Delays in reporting the vessel's ALC failure meant search and rescue did not commence until 4 days after the sinking, eliminating chances of survival for deckhands Chad Fairley (29) and Mason Carter (26). Recommendations address vessel stability assessment, surveyor verification protocols, emergency vessel monitoring, and mandatory water-activated EPIRBs.