Good afternoon,

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch issued their final report earlier today on the tragic incident on the Broads last year where two people died aboard the sports cruiser “Love for Lydia” from Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

The report can be found here .

There are some stark findings and particularly the risk from CO when awnings and hoods are installed on cruisers where in certain circumstances a station wagon effect can take place pulling Carbon Monoxide and exhaust fumes in from the outside of the boat.

The owners of Love for Lydia were new to boat ownership and may not have been aware of the CO risk.

A suitable CO alarm would have alerted Love for Lydia’s occupants to the presence of CO. A CO alarm certified and manufactured to BS EN 50291-2, should be considered essential safety equipment on boats as they are effective and inexpensive.

I would recommend that you read the report and advise customers accordingly. Advice on Carbon Monoxide risk for boaters can be found here

If you would like hardcopy leaflets for inclusion in your handover packs please let me know.

Kind regards

Steve Birtles

Head of Safety Management

Broads Authority

Tel 01603 756078

Steve Birtles, head of safety management at the Broads Authority