British Engineer Dies in Electrocution Accident on Superyacht

A British engineer died after being electrocuted while carrying out repair work on a £50m superyacht moored in Falmouth Harbour, Antigua, an inquest has heard.

Roy Temme, 47, from Southampton, was the chief engineer on the 62.5-metre Isle of Man-registered Baton Rouge. In February 2024, he was repairing a ventilation damper in an enclosed machinery compartment when the fatal incident occurred. At the time, the vessel was docked with no guests aboard and was being operated by a 17-member crew.

The inquest, held at Winchester Coroner’s Court, heard that Temme had begun the repair without isolating the electrical circuits, and no permit had been sought for the work. The compartment where he was working reached extreme temperatures of 50 to 55C, forcing him to take ventilation breaks every 10 minutes. Hampshire coroner Jason Pegg stated that Temme was “hot and sweaty, which aided the electrical flow through his body.”

Members of the #WarsashMaritimeSchool community are deeply saddened to hear of the loss of alumnus and ex-Warsash cadet, Roy Temme, who has passed away suddenly.

A fundraising page has been set up to support Roy’s family at this difficult time: https://t.co/A4WTP3Gmcu pic.twitter.com/KKAdkJiCHK

— Warsash Maritime School (@warsashmaritime) February 27, 2024

Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found that the electric breaker was still in the “on” position and noted the absence of the necessary Code of Safe Working Practices (COSWP) precautions.

MAIB’s report, published in February 2025, stated: “It cannot be known why the chief engineer started work without isolating the electrical circuits or taking any of the additional COSWP precautions for working on live electrical equipment. It is possible that he was trying to save time and effort despite the risk.”

Pegg said: “The evidence would suggest that when Roy embarked on that task which involved the electric circuits on the ship, there was no making safe of the electrical system by Roy or anyone else.” A post-mortem examination revealed that Temme, who had previously served in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, suffered cardiac arrest caused by the electric shock. The electrocution also caused burns and resulted in hypoxia – a deficiency in oxygen – which led to his death.

The chief officer who discovered Temme’s body on 23 February 2024 also received an electric shock upon contact. “There was no-one to help him… Even if he was crying for help there was no-one there,” said Temme’s wife, Natasha, in a statement read to the court.

She described her husband as “an amazing father, amazing husband, always cheerful, great sense of humour. Roy was a strong man, family man, sober habits, courteous and always willing to help.” She also called him “always cheerful… strong, professional and courteous.”

Pegg recorded a conclusion of death by misadventure and said he would not be issuing a prevention of future deaths report, noting that “procedures had been reviewed and existing ones have been reinforced” by MAIB. The yacht’s operator, Nigel Burgess Ltd, also confirmed that it had updated its safety procedures following the incident.

The Baton Rouge, built in 2010, features five decks, seven cabins, a beach club, and a gym, with accommodations for up to 12 guests. It is available for charter at £358,000 per week and is currently on sale for €59,950,000 (£51m).