Canadian investigators stress importance of safeguards to prevent accidental lifeboat releases

On September 2, 2023, the second and fourth engineers were carrying out a weekly safety check of Golden Zhejiang’s free-fall lifeboat, while the vessel was anchored in Trincomali Channel, British Columbia.

During the check, the second engineer encountered an issue while testing the steering from inside the lifeboat and attempted to troubleshoot the problem. In the process, the main release mechanism was inadvertently activated.

The sudden drop caused the securing cables to fail, sending the lifeboat into the water with the second engineer inside. As he was not secured in a seat, the second engineer sustained serious injuries.