In order to share lessons learnt for preventing further marine casualties, the UK MAIB presents the case of fatality of a crew member onboard a tug, during routine manoeuvring, alongside an unmanned sister tug. An engineer was found lying between two tugs, after he probably slipped or tripped and fell, in an attempt to pass between the two tugs, before they had fully come together.
The incident
A 29m ASD (Azimuth stern drive) harbour tug was being manoeuvred alongside an unmanned sister tug, with the intention of making fast to it prior to moving it to another berth within a port. This was a routine task, frequently carried out by the experienced tug crews in the port. It was dark. The master was in the wheelhouse, the deckhand was forward and the engineer was on the main deck.
As the tug approached the unlit unmanned tug, the deckhand, who was positioned on the bow, lassoed a mooring rope onto the bitts on the bow of the unmanned tug. Using a portable radio, he advised the master, who was in the wheelhouse, of the final positioning. The master made the necessary adjustments to the tug’s position and began to thrust the stern of the tug towards the unmanned tug.
During this operation, it was normal practice for the engineer to lasso the midships mooring rope onto the midships bitt of the unmanned tug, and then to pass the stern line from his tug onto the unmanned tug before crossing onto the unmanned tug through a bulwark door to secure and make the ropes fast.
The deckhand made the first rope fast and ran a second line to secure the bows of both tugs together. The master looked aft from the wheelhouse and noticed that the stern rope was still flaked out on the deck; this was unexpected. He left the wheelhouse to obtain a better look and could not see the engineer.
With the bow ropes made fast, the deckhand walked aft. The master called to him, asking if he had seen the engineer; he hadn’t. The deckhand noticed that the midships rope had been passed across between the two tugs, but the rope’s eye was not over the bitt on the unmanned tug. Furthermore, the stern rope had not been passed across.
The deckhand straddled the bulwark of his tug with the intention of passing onto the unmanned tug to make the midships rope fast. He saw the engineer lying on the rubber fendering between the two tugs. He called to the master for help.
The master raised the alarm, the crew of a second tug came to assist and urgent medical assistance was requested from port control. The engineer was recovered onto the deck of the unmanned tug. Despite first-aid being administered by the tugs’ crews and medical assistance arriving promptly, the engineer, who had suffered fatal crush injuries, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
It is probable that the engineer either slipped or tripped and fell forward as he exited an open bulwark gate, in an attempt to pass between the two tugs before they had fully come together.
Lessons learnt
attempt should be made to pass between two vessels until they are firmly alongside each other, have stopped moving, and permission has been given by the master to cross.