| Friday, 31 October 2008 20:00 |
| Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB) has released the final report of its investigation into the tragedy which claimed the life of Laura Gainey nearly two years ago. (A link to the report is posted on our Network Resources site - simply register for free and log-in.) The Picton Castle should ditch its foreign flag and put in place industry-leading safety practices, said the family of Laura Gainey in response to a report into her death at sea. The 25-year-old daughter of Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey was lost at sea after being swept off the tall ship. The ship has since improved its safety standards but the victim's family said that more needs to be done. On Friday, December 8, 2006, the Picton Castle was sailing through a severe storm as it traveled from Nova Scotia to the West Indies. At approximately 2200, the ship’s decks were overwhelmed by a large wave and crew member Laura Gainey of Montreal, Canada, was swept overboard. The subsequent search for Laura lasted for days. The Coast Guard finally called off the search when all hope of survival was gone. The Gainey Family’s loss caught the attention of CBC’s The Fifth Estate. Gillian Findlay and a Fifth Estate team investigated Laura’s death and found the Picton Castle to have serious safety deficiencies. They obtained copies of conflicting reports that were commissioned by the flag state to investigate the incident. Frustrated and disappointed by the Cook Islands Registry, the Gainey family pressed the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) to investigate. The Board is due to report on their investigation in July. The family hopes that any lessons learned through the TSB’s work will contribute to ongoing efforts to make sail training programs both safe and fun. Students participate in outside-the-classroom learning activities all the time. Most of these experiences are not as involved as undertaking a sailing adventure on a tall ship. However, they all invariably involve some risk. Among the lessons that can be learned from Laura’s death is the importance and challenge of communicating risk to stakeholders. Participants, parents, family members and staff all need to truly understand the specific risks that could be encountered and what the possible consequences of those encounters could be. Background links for Laura's storey: CBC's The Fifth Estate Overboard Documentary Overboard Video The Gainey Foundation The Picton Castle Website News Article: Bob Gainey revisits Picton Castle News Article: TSB to Probe Gainey's Death Off Tall Ship News Article: Bob Gainey Breaks Silence |