Swamping and sinking of dory with loss of 3 lives

Location: Loch Awe, Scotland.

• From: Marine Accident Investigation Branch
• Published: 23 January 2015

• Vessel type: Recreational craft - power
• Report type: Investigation report
• Date of occurrence: 29 May 1999

Accident Investigation Report: Loch Awe Dory

Investigation report into marine accident including what happened and safety lessons:

loch awe.pdf (941.71 kb)

Summary

On 29 May 1999, while crossing Loch Awe in Scotland, a dory with six people on board was swamped by a large wave. The dory’s void was prone to flooding and the vessel, designed for four passengers, was overloaded at the time of accident. The low freeboard left it susceptible to swamping in heavy weather and with no integral buoyancy the vessel sank with the loss of three lives.

Published: 15 October 1999

Published 23 January 2015