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11 lives could've been saved with lifejackets

Maritime and Coastguard Agency issue warning

11 people, who drowned in 2018, might be alive today had they been wearing a lifejacket or buoyancy aid. 

In the twelve years that the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's Casualty Review Panel has been meeting, is has recorded that 200 lives could have been saved.

The majority of incidents last year involved commercial fishermen and anglers.

The Panel has made the following recommendations: 

  • Carrying a VHF DSC radio and knowing how to use it to contact the Coastguard or other vessels
  • Carrying a PLB or EPIRB [3] will help rescuers to locate you and even if you’re unconscious the alarm will be raised.
  • Downloading the RYA SafeTrx app [4] on your phone and using it in an emergency could make all the difference.
  • Wearing appropriate clothing and carrying the right safety equipment for your sport, particularly rock anglers and sport fishermen wading in slippery rivers.
  • Making sure your equipment is properly fitted, for example wearing a lifejacket with a crotch strap attached. This advice comes after the panel looked at a case where a yachtsman died because he was wearing a lifejacket that was not properly fitted, had ridden up and was not keeping his head above water.


Maritime Safety Week is focusing on important safety issues such as lifejacket wear this year. 

Today (Wednesday 3rd July) as part of this, Maritime Minister Nusrat Ghani MP will be meeting with other ministers and the fishing industry to talk about fishing vessel safety.

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