INGER MARIE gets foundered and skipper dies
Picture of RIGs starboard side on the day of the accident
(Image Credit: Swedish Coast Guard)
Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) issued a marine accident report about the collision between INGER MARIE and RIG on 10 July 2014.
On 10 July 2014, the Danish fishing vessel INGER MARIE and the Maltese general cargo ship RIG collided approximately 11 nautical miles north-east of the Island of Læsø, Denmark. INGER MARIE foundered shortly after the collision and the skipper, who was the only crew member on board, perished.
The collision happened in good weather conditions and with little traffic in the area. Circumstances suggest that neither the skipper on INGER MARIE nor the watchkeeping officer on RIG were aware of the other ships presence and the risk of collision until moments before the collision. The watchkeeping officer on RIG tried to avoid the collision by turning to starboard, but the manoeuvre was too late. It is uncertain whether the skipper on INGER MARIE realized the risk of collision before the impact.
After the collision, the crew on RIG launched the rescue boat, but were not able to locate the skipper. Within an hour after the collision, the skipper was recovered by a Swedish rescue helicopter, but had already perished. He was brought to a hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden.
It is uncertain why the skipper on INGER MARIE did not realize the risk of collision, but it is likely that he was pre-occupied with work on the deck area aft of the wheelhouse and therefore did not see RIG approaching. On RIG, the watchkeeping officer was not actively using the radar and did not plot the vessels in the area. The watchkeeping officer did not visually observe INGER MARIE approaching, because he did not move around on the bridge and/or was preoccupied and, therefore, did not see INGER MARIE approaching in a blind sector.
The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board has received preventive measures taken from The Danish Maritime Authority.
| Conclusions |
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The collision occurred after both ships had approached each other on crossing courses in good visibility, calm seas and clear weather, i.e. the situation was not complicated by the environment or the presence of other ships in the area. Both the skipper on the fishing vessel and the navigational officer on RIG were experienced navigators that were familiar with the waters. The investigation has not established the causes of the accident with certainty, but has presented a likely explanation of why the collision happened, based on the circumstantial information available. A conjunction of circumstances led to the collision that was overall caused by a lack of effective look-out on both ships. On INGER MARIE, the look-out was not effective probably due to work practices while the vessel was underway. On RIG, the lack of effective look-out was probably caused by the favourable weather conditions that gave a good overview of the situation and minimized the use of the radar. Once the presence of INGER MARIE was acknowledged on RIG, it was too late to avoid the collision. Even though the rescue boat was expediently launched, the crew on RIG did not manage to find the skipper. It is uncertain whether the skipper was conscious after INGER MARIE foundered. The body of the perished skipper was recovered by a helicopter from the Swedish Coast Guard within an hour. He was not wearing any life-saving equipment when he was recovered. |
Further information may be found by reading DMAIB Marine Accident Report by clicking on the image below:
Source:DMAIB
