Alcohol contributes to drowning

A fisherman drowned after falling out of a dinghy about 100 metres from shore 

What happened

The fisherman’s blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit for driving, and he was not wearing a lifejacket.  

He had rowed out in a dinghy to retrieve set nets in a harbour, while a companion stayed on shore. The fisherman was hauling in a net when his companion saw him topple into the sea. The dinghy drifted away and the fisherman was left clinging to an oar. 

an empty steel dingy with a paddle onboard parked on a back yard lawn

Small dinghies, especially aluminium dinghies, become unstable when weight is shifted away from the centre of the vessel
Credit: Maritime NZ

The companion raised the alarm, and a rescue helicopter located the fisherman, guiding the Coastguard rescue vessel to him. The fisherman was in the water for about 40 minutes. He was pulled from the water unconscious. CPR efforts by the Coastguard crew and ambulance officers on shore were unsuccessful. 

Safety points

  • Alcohol was a contributing factor in this fatality. It affects judgement and the ability to balance. Alcohol also causes blood vessels to dilate, which leads to rapid cooling of the body, loss of muscle strength, and drowning soon after immersion. 
  • Many small dinghies of the size in this case study are not suitable for set netting. They become unstable when weight is shifted away from the centre of the vessel, especially when someone stands up. They are lightly built and will drift quickly away from a person in the water. 
  • The fisherman was not wearing a lifejacket. A lifejacket would have kept him afloat and acted as a brightly coloured marker, making it easier for the rescue vessel to see him in the water.