Christmas Island boats inadequate: inquiry

25 May 2011, 4:10 pm   -   Source: AAP

Police and volunteer rescue boats on Christmas Island were not equipped for the high seas prevailing when an asylum-seeker boat hit rocks, inquest hears.

Police, Customs and volunteer rescue boats on Christmas Island were not equipped for the high seas prevailing when an asylum-seeker boat hit rocks on the island, an inquest has heard.

An Australian Federal Police (AFP) boat and a rescue vessel were restricted in their operations when the vessel, known as SIEV 221, hit Rocky Point on December 15 last year, the coronial inquest in Perth was told on Wednesday.

The boats had failed maritime safety inspections and could not be launched for a rescue anyway because of the dangerous seas and weather, the inquest heard.

Two Customs vessels also could not be launched because of the weather and lack of trained crew.

West Australian Coroner Alastair Hope is conducting the inquest into the deaths of 30 people from Iraq and Iran, and the likely deaths of 20 others.

Four fast boats launched from the naval patrol vessel HMAS Pirie and the Customs vessel Triton raced to the crash site and pulled survivors from the water.

Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) ship inspections manager Alex Schultz-Altmann told the inquest the AFP motor vessel Colin Winchester had failed its AMSA survey and was restricted in its operations.

A second vessel, the Christmas Island Volunteer Marine Rescue Service's Sea Eye, was not licensed to operate because it too had failed its AMSA certificate of survey, he said.

Surveys had identified buoyancy and stability deficiencies in both Leisure Cats and those problems had still to be fixed, Mr Schultz-Altmann said.

He said design faults were identified in the vessels that were "certainly only suitable for rescues in fair weather conditions" where wave heights were no more than 1.5 metres.

Mr Schultz-Altmann said that under international maritime conventions, vessels out of survey could be operated in emergencies that involved the safety of life at sea.

In such situations, the operators of vessels would have to judge whether it was safe enough to use vessels while not putting rescuers' lives at risk, he said.

On December 15, no boats were launched from shore, police and other boat operators having decided conditions were too dangerous.

Mr Schultz-Altmann said the AFP and rescue service boats "were not designed to stand that type of weather".

An AFP submission to the inquest said the officer commanding on the island considered using the Colin Winchester but concluded that any attempt to launch it would fail and risk the crews' lives.

It said another vessel had since been sent to Christmas Island and would remain for as long as necessary while an appropriate replacement boat was found.

Mr Schultz-Altmann said two Customs boats on the island, a rigid-hull inflatable boat and a Stabicraft, were deemed suitable only for operations in fair conditions and smooth or partially smooth waters.

Neither boat was launched on December 15 because of the conditions and a lack of trained crew.

Mr Hope adjourned the inquest until next Wednesday when AFP officers are expected to give evidence.

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