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Accident at lock


MrsM

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On 21/04/2021 at 21:29, Nightwatch said:

Agree.

Agree.

Always thought an accident may come into the category of ‘not intensional’. Spell check.

No an accident is something that is unavoidable despite all best practice. Unintentional is a bit like my mooring. I am sure people don't want to hit me, but I know they will, however it is avoidable if passing boats were to adhere to boating convention and moor properly when using the bridge instead of hovering, over which they have virtually no control.

1 hour ago, ditchcrawler said:

This at Atherstone

 image.png.d4b5f9ba5b3d736719b5b198ff410c90.png

Story?

Edited by Lord Maffi of Oxford
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On 21/04/2021 at 17:57, ditchcrawler said:

I hate to say it, but its not, its a know risk that could be engineered out. You wouldn't like the answer but a proper guarded handrail around the stern would have stopped her or anyone else falling off the stern of a boat. She is not the only one, by a long way. On lad falls off a bridge he is biking over and dies in a lock and C&RT have to fit suitably designed handrails to all bridges. The fact that a notice said not to cycle over didn't come into it. Why do you think all C&RT staff wear lifejackets when on a boat, because falling in is a known risk. As boaters we accept that risk every day and if we die its written off as an accident, if we were working our employer would be in court.

This was a Kate boat, they do have rails? In fact HARRY especially had rails. It is possible that whilst sitting on the rail in reverse the boat hit the cill and the tiller swung over and knocked her off, hitting her head on the way down.

 

Ergo never stand or sit in the arc of the tiller!

Edited by Lord Maffi of Oxford
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13 hours ago, Nightwatch said:

Didn’t think I was going mad. Thought it was Cropredy. We used to moor not far away and remember it well.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1203456/Children-mother-fall-death-steers-canal-boat.html

That is not Cropredy Lock. And why would you believe the DM when they keep calling it a barge?

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10 hours ago, Lord Maffi of Oxford said:

That is not Cropredy Lock. And why would you believe the DM when they keep calling it a barge?

The second picture of a lock is not Cropredy Lock. DM? The accident was at Cropredy Lock. Honest guv. The boat being taken away on the lorry is of Cropredy Lock. Definitely Cropredy Lock. I’m not normally assertive like this, but this time I know I’m right. I normally back down.

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1 minute ago, Nightwatch said:

The second picture of a lock is not Cropredy Lock. DM? The accident was at Cropredy Lock. Honest guv. The boat being taken away on the lorry is of Cropredy Lock. Definitely Cropredy Lock. I’m not normally assertive like this, but this time I know I’m right. I normally back down.

It was taken to Cropredy to be taken out. That was the canoe club only place they could get a crane into lift it!

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11 hours ago, Lord Maffi of Oxford said:

 It is possible that whilst sitting on the rail in reverse the boat hit the cill and the tiller swung over and knocked her off, hitting her head on the way down.

 

Ergo never stand or sit in the arc of the tiller!

This is the theory I heard at the time, though I'm not sure if anyone really knows.

 

 

As for the arc of the tiller, absolutely so. I shudder when I see those "tractor" seats on the rear deck of a boat. They are an accident waiting to happen unless the boaters use them only when the craft is moored.

28 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

Okay, I will back off for now. But my opinion is the same. I ‘could’ be that it was taken to the canoe club from Cropredy Lock. But who am I?

I do remember flowers being left at Varney's.

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2 hours ago, dogless said:

It was definitely Varney's lock ... I believe Mike the boilerman had some personal testimony ... but he's no longer here.

 

Rog

Here is an extract from a subsequent report to the British Waterways Board.

http://www.britishwaterways.co.uk/media/documents/meetings/board-papers/CEO-Report-Health-and-Appendix-for-publication.doc

"2.2            There has been 4 reportable incidents to Members of the Public since the last report (see appendix 1A).  The most serious incident resulted in a fatality to a female boater who was on holiday with her family on a hire boat.  This has been reported to the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.  Mrs […….] was at the helm of the narrowboat as she negotiated Varney’s lock on the Oxford Canal.  As the lock was filled, she attempted unsuccessfully to control the backwards movement of the boat using the engine and she was thrown overboard as the boat struck the downstream gate.  Mrs […….] suffered fatal injuries from the rotating propeller.  We understand that the police inquiry has concluded that it was a tragic accident but we will clearly have to wait for the inquest for confirmation.  BW’s investigation has not identified any infrastructure related factors.  We are in dialogue with representatives of the hire boat industry to review guidance to boaters."

And then in the Appendix:

 

30/7/2009 – Varney’s Lock, Oxford Canal – A woman on holiday with her family on a hire boat was fatally injured by the boat’s propeller after falling overboard in the lock.  The Marine Accident Investigation Branch was informed and is content that BW investigates the incident. 

Initial investigation indicates nothing unusual about the boat or lock operating arrangements.  It is suspected that the boat was propelled backwards by water filling the lock as the ground paddles were opened.  The boat hit the downstream gates causing the woman who was at the helm to fall overboard.  The engine controls were found full ahead probably in an effort to counteract the backwards movement.  We are in dialogue with representatives of the hire boat industry to review guidance to boaters in light of this incident.

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16 hours ago, Lord Maffi of Oxford said:

This was a Kate boat, they do have rails? In fact HARRY especially had rails. It is possible that whilst sitting on the rail in reverse the boat hit the cill and the tiller swung over and knocked her off, hitting her head on the way down.

 

Ergo never stand or sit in the arc of the tiller!

 

I witnessed someone step backwards on the stern of a moored cruiser stern boat and be tipped headfirst into the canal by the low taff rail. Ever since then I have preferred trad or semi-trad sterns.

 

At least with them, if you step.backwards, you fall in feet first.

 

I agree, never stand within the arc of the tiller of a moving boat, however far too many do.

 

Also many people when going up in a lock try to keep the boat centred by using the throte, rather than putting the nose of the boat on the gate and using the throttle to keep it there.

Edited by cuthound
To add the last paragraph
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3 minutes ago, Nightwatch said:

I humbly accept that it was Varneys Lock. I wholeheartedly apologise to those I have disagreed with. Since the accident I have honestly believed it was Cropredy Lock.

 

 

You're probably remembering newspaper or telly reports which said that the incident took place in Cropredy, so entirely understandable.

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On 21/04/2021 at 10:11, Nightwatch said:

Didn’t know about the Varneys lock incident. Thought it may have been Cropredy lock. Hire boat ascending the lock. Mum onboard went into astern to counter forward movement. Tiller knocked her overboard. We know what happened next. Absolutely terrifying for the family working the lock. Any accident is just that, an accident. A slip of thought, distraction, whatever. 

Yes I remember this one and thought it was Cropredy Lock, as I was moored just above it at the time, and they had lots of activity at that lock, when I arrived back the following day. Horrible for the family. I've never allowed my daughter to sit on the stern rail since then. The boat the family were on did have those little seats on the corners of the stern rail, as I was moored next to it at Braunston some weeks later.

Edited by MaryP
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