Lyall Babington died in a sailing accident off Isle of Wight.

An investigation revealed that a senior died in a fatal sailing accident while on a round-the-world cruise.

Lyall Babington, 74, of New Zealand, was caught in a malfunctioning winch while raising a sail after leaving West Wittering on August 5.

Mr Babington had been at sea for three years as part of a round-the-world sailing adventure, living on his 17-metre yacht Mollie. By 11 a.m., the yacht was south-southwest of the Needles off the Isle of Wight, on its way to Poole.

According to a Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report, Mr Babington became caught in a rope and was pulled into the winch when it went on.

According to the report, “the winch continued to turn, and the skipper was gradually pulled tighter onto the winch drum.” “The crew attempted to stop the winch with the control switch.

“After several attempts, the winch stopped turning, and the crew checked the skipper for signs of life.”

“The skipper was unresponsive and tightly wound over and around the winch.”

An malfunction with the yacht’s winch was found as the cause of the catastrophe. An RNLI lifeboat and a rescue aircraft were sent to the location to assist.

As rescue personnel sought to free Mr. Babington, the winch abruptly reignited and dumped him onto the deck. Despite their attempts, he was unable to be saved.

The MAIB examination discovered that the winch had a known control issue that caused it to remain on even after the switch was turned off.

Mr Babington had one crew member aboard who had been sailing with him on and off for around five months, and two others had only joined the day before the tragedy.

The MAIB reported that no further action had been taken.

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