Overview
- Lyall Babington, 74, a New Zealand sailor living aboard the 17-metre yacht Mollie, died on 5 August while sailing south‑south‑west of the Needles off the Isle of Wight.
- As he tried to raise a sail, his right hand became caught in a rope and the powered winch continued to turn, winding him tightly onto the drum.
- Crew attempted to stop the device using the control switch, and after several tries it halted, but Babington was unresponsive and remained trapped.
- An RNLI lifeboat and a rescue helicopter responded and worked to free him, during which the winch activated without warning and dropped him onto the deck, and he could not be saved.
- The MAIB report says the winch’s controls sometimes stayed on after the switch was released and notes that no corrective action had been taken on the known defect.