On the death of three naval officers (including the youngest serving woman) in September 2023:
A navy source told City Press’ sister publication Rapport that many inferences can be made. “The submarine’s crew did not have enough sea experience because they cannot spend enough time at sea due to budget cuts. They do not receive sufficient continuous training to maintain their experience, and the young ones do not have experience yet. At one point, the minimum sea hours required to be allowed as a junior on a submarine was 45 days. It is currently believed to be about half of that,” he said.
“The weather conditions are described as manageable in the report, but not in the Kommetjie area, where weather warnings of huge swells were issued the previous day. It is the last area where you would practice a vertrep with inexperienced people. Yes, it was freak waves that swept the crew members off the deck, but such waves are common in that area.
…
In the future, safety helmets will be mandatory on the upper deck. The emergency rescue swimmer must “not only be familiar with water but also be a strong swimmer”, according to the findings.
No shit.