A Florida harbor pilot has died after falling from a pilot ladder during a vessel transfer, highlighting once again the operational risks associated with pilot embarkation and disembarkation.

The incident occurred while the pilot was disembarking from a bulk carrier near Panama City, Florida, using a pilot ladder arrangement. Following the fall into the water, the pilot was recovered by the pilot boat crew and transferred ashore for medical treatment. Authorities later confirmed that the pilot succumbed to injuries sustained in the fall.

The pilot was serving with the St. Andrew Bay pilotage service and had prior experience as a licensed mariner. The circumstances surrounding the transfer remain under investigation, and no official findings have yet been released regarding ladder condition or vessel arrangements.

Regulatory responsibility

Under SOLAS Chapter V, the master of the vessel retains responsibility for ensuring that pilot transfer arrangements are properly rigged, safe, and compliant before and during embarkation or disembarkation. This includes ensuring that pilot ladders are correctly positioned, secured, adequately illuminated, and supervised by competent crew members.

SOLAS places clear emphasis on safe access to and from the ship, regardless of local pilotage arrangements or port-specific practices. Pilot ladder compliance is therefore treated as a shipboard safety obligation, not an administrative formality.

Maritime context

Pilot ladder transfers remain one of the most hazardous routine operations in commercial shipping. Even in normal weather and traffic conditions, the transfer involves vertical movement between vessels, dynamic motion, and reliance on correct equipment condition and crew oversight.

Incidents involving pilots are infrequent but persistent, and investigations commonly focus on:

• ladder construction and certification
• securing arrangements and point of access
• crew presence and monitoring during transfer
• vessel movement at the time of embarkation or disembarkation

What happens next

Investigations into pilot ladder accidents typically examine both technical compliance and procedural execution. Findings may lead to safety advisories or enforcement action depending on the outcome.

For ship operators and masters, the incident reinforces the continuing importance of strict adherence to SOLAS Chapter V requirements during all pilot transfer operations.