Coroner says ‘unseaworthy’ boat, missing ladder contributed to drowning near Portarlington

A 64-year-old man who drowned near Portarlington on a fishing trip was on an “unseaworthy” boat at the time of his death.

Police on scene at the Portarlington Pier. Picture: David Smith

A 64-year-old man who drowned near Portarlington on a fishing trip was on an “unseaworthy” boat and may have been saved if the vessel had a boarding ladder, a coroner’s report has revealed.

Munif Mohammed from Melbourne drowned on June 12, 2023 while fishing with a friend.

The duo launched out of Werribee South before they set anchor at a fishing spot near Portarlington.

After fishing for 30 minutes, Mr Mohammad complained that he was feeling hot and then fell into the water.

Mr Mohammad’s friend was unable to pull Mr Mohammad’s 118kg body back on the boat.

Mr Mohammad, who was not wearing a life jacket, was unable to lift his leg and climb onto the engine or the vessel itself.

Despite Mr Mohammad’s best attempts to climb back on board, he became unresponsive and was face down in the water and drowned as a result.

Four days later police inspected the vessel and noted it to be in average condition.

Police on scene at the Portarlington Pier. Picture: David Smith

According to the coronial report, the vessel was unseaworthy due to a combination of factors.

These included the water ingress point at the engine cable opening; a missing bung plug midship of the vessel; cracks and gouges throughout the fibreglass coating; loss of freeboard; and the soft fibreglass deck at the port stern quarter.

The report also stated that the unseaworthy condition of the vessel resulted in poor stability on the water and likely contributed to Mr Mohammed falling into the water.

Deputy State Coroner Paresa Antoniadis Spanos said Mr Mohammed’s death highlighted the dangers of recreational boating, which many on the water may not fully appreciate.

Ms Spanos suggested that Safe Transport Victoria consider creating a system for inspecting recreational boats to check if they’re seaworthy.

She also suggested that Safe Transport Victoria consider adding practical training and testing to the process of getting a Victorian marine licence.

She also recommended the Minister of the Department of Transport and Planning amend the Marine Safety Regulations 2023 (Vic) to mandate boarding ladders or other similar means of reboarding a vessel from the water.

Originally published as Coroner says ‘unseaworthy’ boat, missing ladder contributed to drowning near Portarlington