Belgian Pilot Critically Injured in Fall From Pilot Ladder

[Brief] In the early hours of Monday morning, a marine pilot was seriously injured while boarding a vessel from a pilot boat. 

At about 0015 hours Monday, a 66-year-old pilot was transferring from a boat of the Belgian Pilotage Service to a ship. While climbing the pilot ladder, he fell a distance of about 20 feet back onto the pilot boat, sustaining severe injuries. 

The pilot was evacuated to a hospital in the town of Goes for urgent treatment, and was reportedly in critical condition. He was later transferred to another hospital in Antwerp.

The cause of the accident is under investigation. Belgian media services report that the victim was set to retire next month.

The climb from a moving pilot boat up the side of a moving ship involves risk, and tragic pilot ladder accidents are all too frequent. SOLAS V Regulation 23 provides specific measures for pilot ladder arrangements and equipment, but many marine pilots report that these rules are not always followed.