On 29 September 2016, a superintendent fell off the pilot ladder and into the sea while transferring from the launch SKAWLINK III to the tanker NORD GARDENIA on The Skaw Roads. The operation was a routine task for the involved parties: They had all made considerations and plans for safe transfer and emergency preparedness in case a person fell overboard; the superintendent was experienced in boarding ships at sea and he wore an inflatable life jacket; he remained close to both ships; the weather was good for the season; and he was recovered within approximately 20 minutes. In spite of all these factors, the superintendent perished as a result of the accident.
The purpose of DMAIB’s investigation of the accident was to establish the circumstances that led to the superintendent falling off the pilot ladder and, furthermore, to clarify why the contingency measures of the involved parties were ineffective in recovering the superintendent before he drowned. The focus of the investigation was the practices, written procedures and contingency preparedness of the involved parties NORD GARDENIA, SKAWLINK III and MAN Diesel. The analysis addressed the interaction between the various initiatives undertaken to rescue the superintendent.
The report can be downloaded in PDF format here.