Malibu Boats issued a safety alert regarding a seating hazard in bowriders it built from 1986 through 2014.
In an accident involving a model-year 2000 Response LX, a passenger died when he was “washed out of the bow seating area during a bow swamping incident,” according to Malibu.
The company said in a statement that it “now prohibits passengers in the bow area of similar boats while the boat is in motion. This reduces the boat capacity by two passengers. Malibu will provide updated capacity labels and warning stickers reflecting this new safety policy.”
Malibu said the boat involved in the accident was built by Malibu Boats West, adding that this business “is not and has never been a subsidiary of the company but was a separate, legal entity whose assets were purchased by Malibu Boats LLC in 2006. Malibu was not involved in the design and testing of this model and other models developed by the other company prior to 2006.”
The company said it determined that the Response LX and similar models designed by Malibu Boats West could be susceptible to this type of incident. Malibu prohibits passengers in the bow when underway for the following models:
• 1986-2002 Sunsetter
• 1989-1994 Euro-f3 Sunsetter
• 1990-1993 Mystere 215LX Euro-f3
• 1993-1998 Echelon LX
• 1995-2014 Response LX
• 1998-2003 Sportster LX
• 1999-2006 Sunsetter LXi
• 2002-2007 Sunsetter (23) XTi
• 2003-2008 Sunsetter 21 XTi
• 2003-2011 Response LXi
Owners of these models can enter the boat’s information here, and the company will send warning stickers and an updated capacity plate.
