As the children were flailing in the water,the rope tying the private contractor’s boat to the wharf snapped,the life ring floated away because it also wasn’t attached to a rope,and the out-of-control ferry almost hit the river bank.
The ferry wharf at St Ignatius’ College,Riverview,where two boys fell into the river from a ferry.Edwina Pickles
Amid concerns that the public transport safety watchdog did not do its own probe into the incident,which maritime experts warn could easily have become tragic,Transport Minister Jo Haylen asked the Transport Department for an independent investigation.
“As a parent myself I’m aghast that this could happen,” she said. “If it were my kids I would be furious.”
On the morning of February 16,Captain Cook Cruises boat Violet McKenzie was doing the public ferry run between the city and Lane Cove,via Greenwich and Hunters Hill. The ferry stops at St Ignatius College Riverview every morning and afternoon.
It took several attempts to dock,banging into the wharf several times and eventually docking in the wrong position at a narrow exit point,according to a Safe Work report on the incident obtained under freedom of information laws.
The Captain Cook Cruises vessel Violet McKenzie,which was involved in an incident in which two high school boys fell into the water.RDM Constructions
The ferry was secured to the wharf with a rope,but the gangplank was not secured as normal to the ferry. As children disembarked,the ferry moved too far from the wharf,causing the gangplank to fall into the water.
Two children fell in,and a third managed to stop himself as he fell. One boy’s older sibling jumped into the water to rescue his brother. A life ring was thrown in,but “was not attached by a rope to the ferry – so the life ring floated away,” the document said.
Amid the commotion in the water,the ferry tried to manoeuvre forward and the rope securing it to the wharf broke. “The ferry was uncontrolled and drifted over towards the bank nearly beaching on the river bank,” the Safe Work documents said.
Once the children had been rescued and the rest of the students disembarked,the ferry staff said they were running behind schedule and had to leave.
Transport Minister Jo Haylen has ordered an investigation into the incident.Louise Kennerley
The school wrote to SafeWork,saying it was concerned about the incident happening again due to issues such as staff who “did not know how to dock and secure the ferry properly”,incorrect safety equipment,and “keeping to schedule over safety of passengers.”
The school said the Captain Cook service had been great in the past,“however the last few weeks have seen an increase in poor safety culture.”
A spokeswoman for Captain Cook Cruises said the company undertook a thorough incident investigation and implemented the findings “to prevent a similar incident happening in future.” The investigation was overseen by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority,the lead agency,which said it “issued the operator with an improvement notice”.
While the Office of Transport Safety Investigations,which is responsible for overseeing safety investigations relating to public transport,was issued a copy of the report,it did not take an active role in the investigation.
‘This incident was undoubtedly avoidable and the company need to invest more time into training their crews.’
Paul Garrett from the Maritime Union of Australia
Haylen said the private operator had provided assurances that it had done a review and taken steps to prevent similar incidents happening in future. “I don’t dispute what they say but I’m not satisfied that’s enough,” she said.
“Without knowing the detail of what happened on the day,it’s inescapable that if a gangway and two school children ended up in the water,something was not done properly.
“I have therefore asked my Department for urgent advice on getting this awful incident investigated independently of the company. I want recommendations for actions we can take as the government to make sure we never see a repeat of this kind of mishap.”
Paul Garrett,the deputy secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia,said the incident was a reminder of the importance of training and robust safety systems.
The students who fell in the water went to St Ignatius College Riverview.Dominic Lorrimer
“This incident had the potential to have been significantly worse and could have turned into a tragedy,” he said. “What is remarkable is that the Office of Transport Safety Investigations elected not to follow up with a proper public investigation.
“This incident was undoubtedly avoidable and the company need to invest more time into training their crews and ensuring robust safety standards in their operation.”
St Ignatius College principal Paul Hine said the students were “closely cared for and have been well supported in the aftermath of the event ... We trust that the investigation has been completed thoroughly as per the Safe Work NSW regulations.”
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