Fatal accident on board Perseverance

What should have been the celebratory conclusion of a highly ambitious scientific mission ended in disaster early Tuesday morning. A 23-year-old sailor was killed. He was part of the crew of the two-masted Perseverance.

The 42-metre schooner Perseverance, which was built as a supply ship for the futuristic shuttle platform Polar POD to be commissioned in 2028 and is already busy navigating Antarctic waters, has become a disaster ship. After an intensive two-month research trip to the Antarctic Ross Sea, the yacht had been docked at Franklin Wharf in Hobart since 10 March. The crew was preparing for the scheduled crew change the next day and flight to Melbourne.
Police early in the morning at the scene of the accident © Tasmania Police

Around 3:55am on Tuesday 17 March 2026, crew members alerted police. According to the initial investigation, a 23-year-old crew member had jumped from one of the ship’s masts into the harbour basin. Witnesses reported that he got into trouble in the water immediately afterwards. After an intensive search, police divers recovered the body around 7:45 am.

Source: Segelreporter
Video: Youtube

Windassist sponsor