Insufficient lookout on boat which fatally hit diver in Scapa Flow, probe finds

There were insufficient lookout arrangements on a support vessel which fatally struck a recreational driver who had been exploring the wreck of a German battleship, an investigation has found.

Paul Smith, 70, had been part of a group diving to the wreck of the SMS Markgraf in Scapa Flow when the accident took place on September 28 2023.

Mr Smith, from Greater Manchester, had been diving off Orkney when he was hit by the propeller of a diving workboat, the Karin.

He had been diving from a second workboat, the Jean Elaine.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) released a report into the incident on Thursday, having previously issued a number of safety recommendations around the incident.

At the time of the accident, Mr Smith was ascending from the wreck of the First World War battleship, which lies at a depth of 45 metres in Scapa Flow.

He was carrying out a “decompression stop” during the ascent in order to avoid getting decompression sickness, a condition known as “the bends”.

He and his diving buddy had released a marker buoy as they made their ascent and while it was seen by the crew of the Jeane Elaine, it was not seen by those onboard the Karin.

Mr Smith was reported missing and his body was recovered three weeks later.

The MAIB report noted that both Karin’s skipper and its deckhand had more than 40 years’ seagoing experience.

Originally built as a fishing vessel, Karin had been modified for use as a dive workboat.

Structural changes meant the view from Karin’s helm position was partially obscured, and a deckhand would be stationed at the bow to keep a lookout of the water immediately ahead.

However, the deckhand was not in the bow position at the time of the incident, and was instead undertaking other duties in the galley.

The MAIB report said: “Consequently, divers on or near the surface were at risk of not being seen.

“It is evident that the lookout arrangements on board Karin were ineffective, placing divers at risk of collision with the vessel while they were submerged close to the surface.”

The MAIB noted there had been another incident from June in the same year, where a diver from the Karin had been hit by the vessel’s propeller, suffering minor injuries.

It was also possible Mr Smith’s delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) snagged on part of Karin’s hull, the report said.

The report said: “Diver one deployed his DSMB about 16 minutes before the contact with Karin and it was visible on the surface to Jean Elaine’s crew from approximately 200 metres away.

“However, Karin’s skipper did not see the DSMB from their position in the wheelhouse.

“Karin was built as a fishing vessel before being modified to operate as a workboat.

“The original design was typical for a fishing vessel of its age as it provided a broad view of the open working deck from the wheelhouse; however, the modifications introduced restrictions that impacted Karin’s new purpose.”

The Karin’s owner has since sold the vessel to a local operator and the MAIB has written to the new owners to make them aware of the safety issues.

The safety inspectorate has also recommended that Orkney Islands Council harbour authority conduct a review of recreational dive boat operations.