ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the application of the AcciMap method for the analysis of a high-profile led outdoor activity incident, the Lyme Bay sea canoeing tragedy. The Lyme Bay sea canoeing tragedy involved the death of four students whilst on an outdoor education activity trip in Lyme Bay, Dorset in the UK, on 22 March 1993. The activity involved a group of eight students, their schoolteacher, a junior instructor and a senior instructor engaging in an introductory open sea canoeing activity in Lyme Bay. The analysis found a number of key failures, all of which contributed to the Lyme Bay sea canoeing tragedy. These failures were related to the equipment used, the instructors leading the activity, the activity centre and company management, and government legislation at the time. The analysis also demonstrated the utility of the AcciMap approach for analysing led outdoor activity accidents.
