Lifeboat drill went wrong, injuring 2, partly because of corroded gear, safety board finds

The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has finished its investigation into a lifeboat accident that left two crew members badly injured in Vancouver's English Bay nearly two years ago.

The men were inside the lifeboat on theBlue Bosporuscargo shipfor a drill on Dec. 1, 2020. The lifeboat suddenly broke off the ship around 1:15 p.m. and plunged into the water below.

For the crew inside, the free fall was about 14 metresequal to nearly three storeys.

On Tuesday, the TSBsaid the lifeboat broke free because the slings,or wires ropes,holding the vessel inplace had failed.

During the drill, the crew "unknowingly" attached the ropesto the boat in a way that put too much pressure on the back right corner, according to the report.Steel crimps holding part of the ropes together had corroded and cracked over time and couldn't take the pressure.

The sling at the back right of the lifeboatsnapped first.The rest then followed, releasing the lifeboat without warning.

The report said the crew membershad been standing inside the lifeboat, not strapped in to anyseats. One was left withserious injuries to his hand, and the other hurt his legs.

Coast guard officers, the Vancouver Police Department's marine unit and the Vancouver Port Authority all responded to the mayday call. Both crew members were transported to the Canadian Coast Guard base in Kitsilano,then movedto hospital.

The TSB said the shipping company, Apollonia Lines S.A., had regular maintenance routines in place to check the lifeboat and its launch setup, but didn't specifically tell the crew to check the condition of the slings.

The company replaced the damaged equipment on theBlue Bosporus after the incident. It also sent its ships newsafety requirements around"inspections of lifeboats and associated equipment and for lifeboat drills," the TSB said