Australian Vessel Master and Operator Fined for Horizontal Falls Incident
A commercial vessel master and Journey Beyond Adventures Pty Ltd have been convicted and fined following a serious incident at Western Australia’s Horizontal Falls that resulted in multiple injuries.
The incident occurred on May 27, 2022, when the high-speed vessel Falls Express, carrying 25 passengers and 2 crew members, crashed into rocks while navigating through a narrow 7.5-meter gap at Horizontal Falls during an eco-tour of Talbot Bay.
The Perth Magistrates Court handed down fines of $12,000 to the vessel’s master, who pleaded guilty to two charges under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law. Journey Beyond Adventures Pty Ltd, the vessel operator, pleaded guilty to a single charge and received a $15,000 fine.
Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Acting National Operations Manager David Marsh stressed the critical importance of properly implementing safety management systems. “A safety management system shouldn’t be seen as a document that gathers dust on a shelf somewhere – it’s a living system that must underpin effective and safe vessel operations,” Marsh stated.
“Failure to implement a safety management system as it’s intended can lead to devastating consequences – for human life, and for businesses,” he added.
The incident prompted a multi-agency response and triggered an extensive investigation by AMSA. Court proceedings included consideration of victim impact statements and safety and training measures before reaching the verdict.
“This should be a lesson to all adventure ride masters and operators to take safety seriously, and not as a box-ticking administrative exercise,” Marsh concluded.