Wood rot caused mast to break off ship, killing girl

A fatal accident on a historic sailing ship near Harlingen on August 31 was caused by wood rot, the Dutch Safety Board (OVV) said on Friday. The ship’s mast was affected by wood rot and broke. It fell on an underage girl, killing her.

The victim was part of a group of young people from The Hague who were sailing on the chartered ship when the mast broke off. The accident happened when they were at sea, 25 kilometers away from the harbor of Harlingen. The girl died at the scene from her injuries.

According to the OVV, this is not the first time that wood rot caused a fatal accident on sailing boats. Similar accidents happened in August 2016 and March 2019, killing a total of four people.

The OVV, therefore, launched a follow-up investigation. “The follow-up study examines to what extent lessons can be learned and what is needed to prevent these types of accidents in the future.”