Lifejacket in the locker: why there's no time to put it on
MAIB investigation: three on a RIB, none wearing a lifejacket, two dead. What a lifejacket gives you in the water, why wearing it matters more than owning it, and how to choose one you'll actually wear.
On 14 August 2025, in Portsmouth Harbour, the rigid inflatable boat Peaky Blinder struck a navigation mark while underway. Three people on board ended up in the water. Two died: one was recovered immediately but could not be resuscitated, while the owner went under and his body was found five days later.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) issued a separate safety flyer on this case for the leisure boating industry. Alcohol and speed were named as the causes of the collision. But a separate point stands out: none of the three was wearing a lifejacket, and had they been, their chances of survival would have been higher.
Why "there's a lifejacket on board" means nothing
Between the impact and the water, there is no time — only an instant. In this case, two of the three were injured and possibly lost consciousness before ending up overboard.
A lifejacket sitting in a locker does not exist at that moment. It cannot be reached, cannot be put on, and cannot be handed to someone in the water. The requirement to carry a lifejacket for every person on board is fully met — and it saves no one.
MAIB states directly: lifejacket carriage and, more importantly, actual wear rates in the leisure fleet remain low, putting people at serious risk in the event of an unexpected fall overboard.
What a lifejacket does in the water
Three things, each mattering at a different moment.
- Keeps the airway above water. This is the main function. A person does not drown from exhaustion, but from the first breath of water.
- Saves energy. While a search is underway, buoyancy does the work instead of your arms. Without it, the clock runs in minutes.
- Turns the wearer face-up. Not every model, but some lifejackets are designed to roll an unconscious person into a position where they can breathe.
That last point is what separates a lifejacket from a simple buoyancy aid. An unconscious person is only saved by a lifejacket that puts them in the right position on its own.
Which lifejacket to choose
The US Coast Guard puts it in one sentence: the best lifejacket is the one you will wear. Everything else is secondary, because a lifejacket that is hot and uncomfortable will end up in the locker by midday.
Worth knowing when choosing one:
- Inflatable models are compact — before inflation they're no bigger than a scarf or a bum bag. That's exactly why they get worn all the time, not just "when it blows up."
- Read the label honestly. Some buoyancy aids are not designed for weak swimmers or non-swimmers. This is stated on the product, and it is not a formality.
- An adult lifejacket does not work on a child. Children need their own size, and requirements for children vary between countries and states.
- Check that the lifejacket supports the head. Certain designs are specifically built to keep the head above water and allow breathing.
What to change on your own boat
Simple changes that cost nothing.
- Agree on when lifejackets are worn always: underway, at night, when alone, in cold water, in a fresh breeze. Not "depending on the situation," but a list everyone knows.
- Tell your guests before you cast off. A guest doesn't know your rules and is reluctant to ask. On leisure boats, it is most often guests who die.
- Start with yourself. Crew put on lifejackets when the skipper does, and never before.
- Remember alcohol. In the case examined here, it was named as one of the main causes. A lifejacket doesn't cancel that out, it only leaves a chance.
A lifejacket doesn't make the water safe. It makes sure that falling into it doesn't end within the first minute.
Sources: Marine Accident Investigation Branch, safety flyer on the Peaky Blinder collision investigation; United States Coast Guard Boating Safety Division, section on lifejacket wear.