Overview
- The rigid inflatable Peaky Blinder struck a stationary navigation beacon after a social trip, throwing all three men overboard and killing owner William Blake and passenger Gary Huntington in the August 14 incident last year.
- Toxicology showed a significant alcohol concentration in the helm’s blood that investigators said would have strongly impaired his judgement and reaction times.
- Voyage data recovered by investigators recorded speeds up to 49.7 knots in a 10‑knot zone and impact at about 33.5 knots, and none of the three men were wearing lifejackets when they were ejected into the water.
- The MAIB has recommended enforceable alcohol limits for non‑professional mariners and other safety measures, and industry bodies have urged the Government to use powers already held to set limits; the Department for Transport has been contacted but has not announced a timetable.
- The report highlights a long‑standing regulatory gap dating back to provisions created in 2003 and signals that introducing legal alcohol limits and stronger lifejacket standards could reduce similar deaths and change how recreational boating is policed.