Sailor died on round-the-world trip after being pulled into faulty winch
Faulty mechanism kills New Zealand sailor off Isle of Wight
- A 74-year-old New Zealand national, Lyall Babington, died after being pulled into a defective winch on his yacht, Mollie, during a round-the-world sailing trip.
- The fatal accident occurred on 5 August this year, south-south-west of the Needles off the Isle of Wight, as he attempted to raise a sail.
- Mr Babington sustained catastrophic injuries after his hand became caught in a rope, and the winch continued to turn, winding him tightly around its drum.
- His crew's attempts to stop the winch were initially unsuccessful, and despite rescue efforts by the RNLI and a helicopter, he could not be saved.
- A Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report concluded the winch had a known defect causing its controls to stay on.