News release

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report (M23C0032) into the accident on board the ferry Atlantic Vision in Les Méchins, Quebec, in which a crew member was injured.

On March 23, 2023, while the Atlantic Vision was unmooring, a mooring line wrapped around the vessel’s bow thruster propeller shaft, which was operating. The tension generated by the mooring line wrapping around the shaft pulled the line out of the rope locker and through the mooring winch warping drum, striking and seriously injuring a crew member.

The investigation found that a breakdown in communication during the unmooring operation resulted in the head line being released into the water without the forward mooring team being aware. Since the operation was being conducted on two radio channels and in two languages, the warnings did not reach the vessel’s forward mooring team and, consequently, they were unaware of the risk to their safety.

Between 2013 and 2023 in Canada, 20 people were seriously or even fatally injured during mooring operations on domestic and foreign vessels.

Following this accident, the operator, Marine Atlantic Inc., conducted an internal investigation. Among the actions taken, a job safety analysis was reviewed and training was provided to prevent similar occurrences.

Safety management is on the TSB Watchlist. Marine Atlantic Inc. had developed a safety management system for its fleet. However, as this occurrence demonstrates, even when operators have safety management processes in place, they are not always able to demonstrate that hazards are being identified nor that effective risk-mitigation measures are being implemented.

See the investigation page for more information.