XN000022-1987-08-02 — Page 8

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 2, 1987

COXSWAIN'S CERTIFICATE SUSPENDED

THE COXSWAIN IN CHARGE OF A SPEEDBOAT WHICH WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT IN SAI KUNG LAST YEAR HAS HAD HIS LOCAL CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCY AS MASTER OF A VESSEL UP TO 60 TONS SUSPENDED FOR A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS BY THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE.

THE COXSWAIN WAS ALSO PROSECUTED FOR ENDANGERING LIFE CONTRARY TO SECTION 72 OF THE SHIPPING AND PORT CONTROL ORDINANCE AND WAS FINED $2,000.

THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, UNDER SECTION 30 OF THE SHIPPING AND PORT CONTROL ORDINANCE, INSTITUTED INQUIRY INTO THE ACCIDENT WHICH OCCURRED ON SEPTEMBER 14, LAST YEAR WHEN THE SPEEDBOAT TOWING A WATER SKIER AT HIGH SPEED COLLIDED WITH A PLEASURE JUNK ANCHORED AT SHEUNG SZE WAN, SAI KUNG.

IT WAS FOUND THAT AT THE TIME OF COLLISION, CONDITIONS WERE GOOD AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CRAFT AREA. SEVERAL PERSONS WERE SWIMMING IN THE VICINITY JUNK.

WEATHER AND SEA IN THE IMMEDIATE OF THE ANCHORED

THE SPEEDBOAT, MANNED BY THE COXSWAIN AND A MEMBER OF THE CREW SITTING ON THE BOW WATCHING THE SKIER, STRUCK THE STERN

OF THE JUNK AT HIGH SPEED. AS A RESULT, THEY WERE BOTH INJURED AND THE PLEASURE JUNK WAS SERIOUSLY DAMAGED.

INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT THE COXSWAIN OF THE SPEEDBOAT FAILED TO OBSERVE THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA BY ALLOWING THE SPEEDBOAT AT AN UNSAFE SPEED AND BY FAILING TO KEEP A PROPER LOOKOUT.

HE WAS ALSO CONSIDERED TO OPERATING HIS CRAFT AT HIGH SPEED ANCHORED VESSELS.

HAVE ENDANGERED LIFE AT SEA BY IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO SWIMMERS AND

HAVING CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE FINDINGS OF THE INQUIRY, THE GRAVITY OF THE OFFENCE, THE RISKS TO LIFE AND PROPERTY, AND THE NEED TO PROTECT SAFETY OF LIFE IN THE OPERATION OF HIGH SPEED PLEASURE VESSELS, AS WELL AS THE REPRESENTATIONS MADE ON BEHALF OF THE COXSWAIN, AND HIS FAILURE ΤΟ COMPLY WITH THE INTERNATIONAL REGULATIONS FOR PREVENTING COLLISIONS AT SEA, THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE DECIDED TO SUSPEND THE COXSWAIN'S CERTIFICATE FOR SIX MONTHS.

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