Maritime pilot accidents and injuries are common because of the nature of this dangerous job. Pilots are responsible for maneuvering ships through congested, often dangerous waterways to get them into or out of ports. Falls, collisions, and other incidents are unfortunately common and often result in injuries and fatalities.
What Is a Maritime Pilot?
Maritime pilots operate vessels going in and out of ports. They are locals familiar with the area’s waterways, including important navigational details like water depth, currents, and any hazards.
Get Matched with a Leading Maritime Attorney in Your Area
- Find the leading maritime lawyers in your area
- Discover how to get compensation as fast as possible
- Learn your legal rights as an injured maritime worker
Pilots are taken out to incoming vessels, board them, and take over from the captain to bring them safely into port. They also board vessels in port and operate them until they are safely out of the port. They then board a pilot boat and go back to the port.
Pilots are essential for the safe movement of vessels. Harbors, rivers, and ports are often congested and have various hazards that could result in accidents. Pilots ensure vessels move safely through all these navigational risks.
Why Is the Job of a Maritime Pilot Dangerous?
While all maritime jobs have risks and dangers, pilots do some of the most dangerous work in the industry. They work with ship captains to maneuver through often crowded and hazardous local waters. They are on board ships when a collision or grounding is most likely to occur.
The most dangerous aspect of a pilot’s job is not maneuvering through hazardous waterways. A maritime pilot’s most significant risks are boarding and disembarking the vessel.
When pilots bring a vessel into port, they are taken to the ship on a small pilot boat. They board the vessel by climbing a ladder on the side of the ship or by climbing through an open doorway. After maneuvering a ship out of port, they reboard the pilot boat.
Boarding and disembarking to and from moving vessels are challenging and can easily lead to a fall. Falls can cause injuries like broken bones or head injuries. They can also be fatal due to the risk of drowning.
Causes of Maritime Pilot Accidents
A fall while boarding or disembarking a ship can be an accident. The pilot might misstep on the ladder, for instance. But many maritime pilot accidents and injuries have preventable causes:
- Inadequate training of the pilot or other workers supporting the pilot
- Poorly maintained ladders
- Mistakes made by the worker operating the pilot boat or the larger vessel during boarding or disembarking
- Miscommunications between crew
- Lack of or misuse of safety gear
River bar pilots have particularly dangerous jobs because they navigate very hazardous waters. They often board vessels in rough, turbulent waters or dangerous weather, increasing the risk of a fall. Rough water and bad weather in any setting can increase the risk of a pilot falling.
Preventing Maritime Pilot Accidents
The dangerous nature of the job means that pilots sometimes suffer injuries or die in accidents without preventable causes. However, many measures can be taken to reduce the risk of accidents for maritime pilots:
- Proper training and licensing of pilots
- Adequate training of crew supporting pilots
- Appropriate safety gear for the pilot, including a flotation device
- Well-maintained ladders positioned and secured correctly
- Adequate handholds on the vessel
- Proper lighting for nighttime piloting
- Regular inspection of all equipment involved in piloting
- A clear area on the vessel’s deck by the ladder
Examples of Maritime Pilot Accidents and Injuries
There are, unfortunately, many examples of pilots being injured or killed in accidents on the job. These are just a few examples.
Pilot Fatality in Turkey
An experienced Turkish pilot fell into the waters just outside the Bosporus straits while attempting to board a vessel in early 2024. The cause of his fall has not been determined, but he was trying to board a bulker coming into Istanbul from Algeria.
The pilot had decades of experience, highlighting how dangerous the job can be for anyone. A crew member on the pilot boat jumped into the water to recover the pilot, who died later in the hospital. He may have suffered hypothermia, which could have contributed to his death.
Pilot Injury in Australia
A pilot in Australia suffered injuries in a fall while attempting to board a Panama-flagged ship owned by Fu Ye Shipping of Hong Kong. The pilot fell because the ladder broke.
Australia convicted and fined both the ship’s master and Fu Ye Shipping for violating the country’s Navigation Act of 2012. The Act requires pilot ladders to be checked, stored, and maintained properly. The ladder involved in the accident was in poor condition. The accident could and should have been prevented.
Pilot Fatality in New York
A pilot fell backward from a ladder while climbing aboard a container ship in New York in 2019. He landed on the pilot boat, suffering fatal injuries. He was rushed to a hospital on Staten Island and died there.
The pilot ladder used by the container ship did not meet the requirements set by the Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The controversial ladder arrangement used in this situation includes a platform with a trap door the pilot must navigate to board the ship. The ladder contributed to the pilot’s fall and death.
How to Seek Compensation After a Pilot Accident
Pilots injured on the job have a right to seek compensation. Maritime laws apply and can be used to recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, and more. Dependents of pilots who died on the job may also be entitled to benefits.
Contact a maritime lawyer if you work as a pilot and have been injured or lost a loved one to a pilot accident. Experienced lawyers with expertise in maritime law can review your case and help you make a claim or file a lawsuit for compensation.