ATSB Report: Jessica Watson and cargo ship share blame

8:27 PM Thu 17 Jun 2010 GMT

'Jessica Watson in Ella's Pink Lady, after the collision' Gold Coast City Marina

Teenage sailor Jessica Watson and the watchkeepers of a Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier were both to blame for a collision between their vessels in Queensland last year, an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has found. The ATSB's final report on the collision between Ella's Pink Lady and bulk carrier Silver Yang on September 9 found that the watchkeepers were engaged in non-work related conversations in the lead up to the collision while Miss Watson fell asleep shortly before impact. The collision occurred during the teenager's inaugural solo sail on the yacht, travelling from Mooloolaba to Sydney before the start ...

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by Sineva Toevai/ATSB