Tighter maritime safety measures have been recommended after a deckhand plunged seven metres into St Helier Harbour after slipping from a quay ladder with no fall protection – just over a year after another man died in similar circumstances.
A newly published investigation by the Jersey Maritime Administration concluded that multiple safety failings contributed to the fall of a 49-year-old Normandy Trader deckhand, who sustained a fractured leg, had not been wearing a lifejacket and had been carrying a rucksack while climbing a slippery vertical quay ladder with no fall prevention system.
The fall occurred on the afternoon of 21 November 2024, after the vessel returned from a routine cargo trip to Granville and berthed outboard of its sister ship, the Normandy Warrior, at Victoria Quay.
As the deckhand tried to climb from the vessel to the quay, his hand slipped near the top of the ladder, causing him to lose his grip and fall backwards into the water between the boat and the harbour wall.
According to the incident report, which was completed in February but has only recently been made public, the deckhand was rescued by the skipper and emergency services, but suffered a fractured tibia and required surgery. He was said to still be undergoing physiotherapy today, but expected to make a full recovery.
Not an isolated case
The report notes that this was not an isolated case.
Investigators noted that a “remarkably similar incident” had occurred just four months earlier, in July 2023.
63-year-old Manche Iles Express crew member Bernard Jambon died after he fell into deep water whilst trying to cross between two ferries at St Helier’s Victoria Pier. He lost consciousness before he could be recovered from the water and attempts to resuscitate him by other crew members and later emergency services were unsuccessful.
In light of this, the Jersey investigation team said that safety measures were still not robust enough.
The incident
The November incident unfolded as the crew were disembarking at the end of the day.
The skipper went ashore first, then the deckhand followed. He was alone, without supervision or protective gear. While both men were experienced, “this lack of support, particularly given the absence of a fall prevention system, introduced unnecessary risk”, the report said.
The deckhand was climbing the vertical steel quay ladder, using his hands and feet to grip the rungs, when “his right hand slipped off a higher rung”, causing him to pivot and fall backwards.
He briefly struck the ladder, then entered the water. Although injured, he managed to reach back for the ladder and cling on until the skipper returned and helped him climb back onto the Normandy Warrior.
Emergency services responded quickly, including Jersey Fire and Rescue Service, Jersey Ambulance, Jersey Coastguard, and the Harbourmaster. The crew member was eventually transferred to shore via an inflatable rescue boat and taken to hospital.
The investigation found that the ladder’s upper rungs were considerably smoother than those lower down – which were more regularly immersed in water – and no fall protection devices were installed, such as safety cages or lifelines.
The report raised specific concerns about the deckhand’s expired medical certificate, which had lapsed in June 2024 – five months before the incident. Although this was not deemed a contributing factor to the accident, investigators noted it raised a red flag in terms of compliance and crew oversight.
Safety recommendations made
Investigators found that noted that the small rucksack the deckhand was wearing “impeded his ability to self-recover via the ladder” and observed that, “had the contents of the rucksack been heavier, or if assistance had not been readily available this could have had significant consequences”.
In their conclusions, they said that the risk of “carrying personal effects whilst climbing or descending ladders, or doing so by wearing a ruck sack, instead of using a heaving line was not fully appreciated”.
It was also noted that “it had become the practice not to wear [floatation aids] when embarking or disembarking the vessel as these were stored aboard the respective vessels”.
The Jersey Maritime Administration made a series of recommendations for both the vessel operator and the Ports of Jersey. These included:
- reviewing risk assessments and processes for crew boarding and disembarking the Normandy Trader and Normandy Warrior, “with particular reference to the wearing of [floatation devices]”;
- ensuring crew members do not climb or descend from ladders wearing rucksacks;
- consider installing lifebuoys or additional safety equipment near commonly used access points; and
- consider expediting the installation of security fencing around the cargo working areas on Victoria Quay “to prevent unnecessary access to the quay side ladders, whilst ensuing access to emergency services is maintained”.
It was also advised that Ports of Jersey issue a safety bulletin summarising lessons learned from the incident of November 2024, as well as the fatal accident in July 2023.
Full cooperation
The report acknowledged that Normandy Trader Freight Services Ltd had cooperated fully.
It said they had taken steps to improve safety since the incident, including conducting internal reviews and revising operational procedures.