In calm seas, a vessel was stopped while underway to allow the crew to undertake boat drills. While the lifeboats were tested, the rescue boat was launched and manoeuvred close to the ship by a three-person crew. The rescue boat trials lasted for about an hour before the crew brought the boat alongside for recovery.
Once the hook and painter line was fastened, the crew in the boat sat on the floor in a stable manner and the hoist was started. When the boat reached the boat deck, the winch was stopped. Suddenly, the wire failed and the boat fell 17 metres, hitting the water upright.
The engine was torn off its foundation, the bottom hull cracked, and the boat slowly drifted alongside the ship’s port side. All three crew members were still in the boat but seriously injured. The alarm was immediately raised.
