A female tourist has been paralysed for life after being thrown from a 'kamikaze' seat on an inflatable boat hit by a high wave as it left a harbour.
The RIB Lundy Explorer had left Ilfracombe harbour in North Devon for a sea safari trip in June 2023.
A Marine Accident Investigation Board inquiry said it encountered a high wave as it left the harbour, which caused it to slam into an oncoming wave.
The report says that a passenger was sitting in a 'jockey' seat in the front of the RIB, where the highest shock loads were experienced.
The passenger was dislodged from their seat and suffered a fracture of their spinal column, resulting in permanent paralysis.
