Marine

Citation

(2006), "Marine", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 15 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2006.07315dac.001

Marine

22 April 2005Andrew J. Barberi (USA)

The former Director of the Staten Island ferry pleaded guilty today to seamen's manslaughter and lying to federal investigators in the October 2003 ferry Andrew J. Barberi crash that killed 11 passengers. Patrick Ryan, who expressed remorse at federal court in Brooklyn for neglecting to implement safety rules requiring two pilots in the wheelhouse during operation of the ferry, faces between six months and a year in prison. The ferry crashed after pilot Richard Smith blacked out and there was no back-up to take over the steering. Port Captain John Mauldin also pleaded guilty today to lying to investigators. He faces up to six months in jail. Smith has pleaded guilty to 11 counts of negligent manslaughter and could face sentencing as soon as next week.

2 May 2005. In the first settlement of a legal claim for a death in the 2003 crash of ferry Andrew J. Barberi, the family of a 40-year-old carpet installer will get more than $450,000, city officials said today. The estate of John A. Valinski, who lived on Staten Island, will get the disbursement after legal documents are signed that officially settle the matter, the officials said. As of late today, total ferry claims settlements had hit $3.2 million, the officials said. Valinski, who was engaged to be married, was killed after the vessel crashed into a dock during its approach to its Staten Island berth. About 11 people died and scores were injured in the accident. According to documents filed in October, 2003, with the City Comptroller's Office, Valinski's sister, Christine Santoro, filed a claim on behalf of his estate. Santoro made the filing in her capacity as the proposed administrator of Valinski's estate. The original claim did not specify any damage amount. Administrators are appointed by Surrogate Courts in cases were people die without wills. After the accident, a total of $3.2 billion in legal claims were lodged against the city. To defend itself, the city filed a special action in federal court under maritime law aimed at limiting its liability to $14.2 million. That amount is the value of the repaired vessel plus a special tonnage allowance. After the city made its defensive move in the federal court action, numerous claimants began to settle, despite criticism by some attorneys that the city was financially brow-beating the families of those who died or were injured. A reported 79 of 191 claims filed after the crash have been formally settled for $2.7 million. Claims are considered settled after closing documents are signed by the families. An additional seven cases, including Valinski's, are awaiting closing documents and have been settled for $565,500. That brings the total to $3.2 million.

11 June 2005. In an unexpected move, the judge presiding over the case of an assistant master who has pleaded guilty in the fatal crash of ferry Andrew J. Barberi in 2003 has scheduled a hearing to determine what role prescription medications might have played in the pilot's ability to operate the ferry. The Assistant Captain, Richard J. Smith, was at the controls of the Andrew J. Barberi, on the afternoon of October 15, 2003, when he lost consciousness shortly before the vessel hit a pier near the St George terminal. Last August, Mr Smith pleaded guilty to 11 counts of seaman's manslaughter. Under federal sentencing guidelines, Mr Smith faces 21-27 months in prison. Prosecutors have asked the judge to impose a lengthier sentence, while Mr Smith's defence lawyers have urged a shorter sentence. The Judge, Edward R. Korman, has scheduled a fact-finding hearing for Tuesday (June 14) to learn more about the possible effects of Mr Smith's prescription medications on his state of mind. Mr Smith suffered from hypertension, insomnia, back pain and other ailments. In an order dated May 2, Judge Korman, who is the Chief Judge of Federal District Court in Brooklyn, wrote that a probation report had questioned the assumption that the side effects from the medications “necessarily played a role in his losing control of the ferry.” The order was surprising because the prosecutors and defence lawyers had agreed that Mr Smith fell asleep because of extreme fatigue, that he knew such fatigue impeded his abilities to pilot the ferry and that the medications exacerbated his fatigue. Indeed, in a memo filed yesterday, the prosecutors said that “the parties are in substantial or complete agreement on virtually every relevant factual issue” in the case. Mr Smith has acknowledged he was negligent, and even reckless, because he went to work despite his fatigue and disregarded the consequences. However, the government, in calling for a harsher sentence, has gone beyond that assertion, arguing that his use of sedating medications before the crash “was itself a separate conscious act of recklessness.” Mr Smith's defence lawyers are likely to dispute that theory. In an April memo calling for a lesser sentence, they described him as “a model father, co-worker and citizen” whose “poor judgment on that day set in motion a chain of events with catastrophic consequences.” In the memo filed yesterday, prosecutors said they planned to call four expert witnesses to support their theory of recklessness and to testify on Mr Smith's use of Tramadol, a pain reliever.

23 June 2005. The Doctor of the Assistant Master of ferry Andrew J.Barberi, who lost consciousness minutes before the vessel crashed into a pier, pleaded guilty today to falsifying one of the pilot's medical reports. The crash killed 11 people. Dr William Tursi admitted concealing Assistant Master Richard Smith's use of blood-pressure medication on a routine Coast Guard medical report in August, 2000. Tursi could serve six months in prison under advisory federal sentencing guidelines. He also could lose his medical license, although his lawyer said he was optimistic Tursi would continue to practice. Assistant US Attorney Sarah Coyne said that Coast Guard examiners might have subjected Smith's medical condition to greater scrutiny if they had known about his blood-pressure medication. The scrutiny may have turned up Smith's use for back problems of the painkiller Tramadol, which prosecutors allege contributed to his losing consciousness at the controls of the ferry on October 15, 2003. Smith has pleaded guilty to manslaughter charges and is awaiting sentencing in the case.

23 April 2005Solway Harvester, (UK)

The former first mate on fishing Solway Harvester yesterday told a court how the scallop dredger had been inundated by floodwater on the penultimate trip before it sank with the loss of all seven crew. Charles Boyce, who missed the final voyage of the trawler because he had just returned from holiday, told the manslaughter trial of the vessel's owner that the flooding on board Solway Harvester was the worst he had ever seen. He claimed: “The water was washing right up the walls – right up to the roof.” Mr Boyce was giving evidence at the High Court on the Isle of Man on the ninth day of the trial of Richard Gidney, the Sole Director of Jack Robinson Trawlers, which owned the vessel. Mr Boyce described how he had found the dredger's fish hold full of water on the vessel's penultimate voyage, shortly before Christmas,1999. He said he had been manning the wheelhouse while the rest of the crew slept. The boat was being battered by rough seas and Mr Boyce had gone below to check the hold where the scallops were stored when he discovered the flood. He had been unaware until then of the potential danger to the vessel because the bilge alarm was broken. He said: “It was the worst flooding I have ever seen.” Mr Boyce explained that a number of bags of scallops had burst open and the woodwork on the starboard side of the vessel had also been smashed. “The boat had been pitching and the bags had rolled over,” he continued. “They had gone into the bilge well. Quite a few bags had burst. The boat wasn't pumping because the bilge well was blocked so I got the crew up. We couldn't get into the bilge well at all because of the water so we had to get the buckets out and clear the water.” The crew, he added, had to battle for several hours to clear the floodwater. The trial continues.

12 May 2005. A company director who owned fishing Solway Harvester, which sank with the loss of seven men, was never told of crucial missing deck covers or faults with water pumps, a court heard today. Richard Gidney, 41, told police during interviews that skippers were responsible for all health and safety matters on board the firm's fleet of boats. Gidney, the Sole Director of Jack Robinson Trawlers Limited, is charged with seven counts of manslaughter following the sinking of the Solway Harvester off the coast of the Isle of Man in January 2000. The jury at the High Court in Douglas heard statements Gidney read to detectives during his interview as part of the police investigation. He told officers he periodically met the vessel's skipper Craig Mills both on the boat and in Gidney's office and was never told of the defect. Gidney said in interview: “I had not received any reports of the pumps not working in January 2000. I had not received reports of a missing scuttle cover. If I had I would have ordered a new one.” The court had earlier been told the deck cover had been missing for two years and played a vital part in the sinking of the 21m boat. Gidney himself was skipper of the Solway Harvester in the years before he became Director of the firm. He continued: “I hadn't been told there was a missing bilge well cover. I was never told about any blockages on board the Solway Harvester after I was skipper.” He denied being told of serious floods in the years leading up to the vessel's sinking and agreed flooding in any part of the boat would be dangerous, adding if he had been told of it, the problem would have been addressed. He said: “The company delegated responsibility for all matters of health and safety to the skippers. The skipper had responsibility for safety on board the vessel and would nominate a safety officer. Periodic meetings were held with Craig in my office or on board the vessel. He never mentioned any defects to me during these meetings.” He added he knew Mr Mills both socially and professionally and had come to regard him very highly. Gidney, from Gatehouse-of-Fleet, south west Scotland, denies seven counts of manslaughter.

18 May 2005. The manslaughter trial of trawler owner Richard Gidney has been told that there was a catalogue of safety faults on board fishing Solway Harvester. A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch into the condition of the scallop-dredger when it was raised from the seabed found 11 safety flaws: an ice scuttle lid, missing for two years, had not been replaced allowing sea water to flow into the fish hold; there were no emergency distress flares kept on board; the main bilge pump used to clear flood water was found to be inoperative; a protective cover to stop debris falling into the slush well and blocking the bilge pump suction pipe was missing; four of the seven crew members had not attended mandatory basic safety courses; crew members could not easily access the bilge pump filter, which regularly blocked, in order to clear it; the flood alarm in the fish storage room was broken – this was known when the vessel set sail on its final voyage; the two life-rafts on board the vessel were inadequately stored and investigators criticised their condition; fishing gear weighing 2.8tons was not secured and was left lying on the store-room floor; bulkhead doors which should have been kept shut and were essential to ensure the vessel was buoyant enough to endure the powerful swell, were left tied open; other bulkheads needed to maintain the vessel's reserve buoyancy were not fitted to the required standard.

18 May 2005. The manslaughter trial of the owner of fishing Solway Harvester, Richard Gidney, collapsed at the Isle of Man High Court today after the judge ruled there was no case to answer. Mr Gidney was originally charged both corporately and individually with manslaughter, but only stood trial on the latter charge. He was accused of allowing the vessel to go to sea in a dangerously unseaworthy state, amounting to gross negligence on his part, which led to the seven deaths. Mr Gidney was cleared after Acting Deemster Andrew Moran QC ruled there was no case to answer after five weeks of prosecution evidence. Explaining his reasons, he criticised several aspects of the prosecution case. He said Mr Gidney had demonstrated “proactive and safety conscious conduct” following a flood on board the sister-ship of the Solway Harvester. “The evidence put before the jury is insufficient to establish that there was any lack of care, particularly regarding what was the common and accepted practice of the vessels at the time,” he said.

7 May 2005Ouro do Brasil (Liberia)

Fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil, ELPP9, (15,218 gt, built 1993), Singapore for Brazil, was in collision with trawler Lindsay (174 gt, built 1973) in lat 34 06.43S, long 25 16.48E, at 23:02, UTC, May 7. Lindsay capsized and sank within 30s. Two crew of Lindsay, who were on the bridge, were rescued and the other 15 persons on board, who were below deck, went down with the vessel. Ouro do Brasil sustained bow damage and was taking water. Vessel is now at anchor in Algoa Bay awaiting survey, etc.

8 May 2005. At least 14 people have gone missing after trawler Lindsay was in collision with fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil and sunk off Port Elizabeth early today. Ian Gray, the National Sea Rescue Institute's Port Elizabeth station commander, said they were alerted to the collision about 01:39 today. The collision took place about 9.5 nautical miles off Sardinia Bay, about 10 nautical miles (by road) from Port Elizabeth. Gray said: “It appears Ouro do Brasil collided broadside on the port side of Lindsay”. Lindsay, with 17 crew on board, sunk shortly afterwards. Two people were rescued and taken to a Port Elizabeth hospital. An extensive air and sea rescue, involving 12 craft, was launched for the rest of the crew. Gray said the crews of two NSRI boats and two air force helicopters were searching the area since first light. Private boats, fishing vessels and others ships in the area were also alerted to the missing crew. A joint operations control centre was established at the NSRI base in Port Elizabeth. “The immediate search area plotted spans approximately 21 square nautical miles.” Gray said: “According to information obtained from the skipper of the sunken vessel they were preparing to drop anchor when the collision took place”. “A crewman was rescued shortly after the collision by Ouro do Brasil, and he is in a satisfactory condition.” The skipper of Lindsay was rescued by fishing Lincoln at about 02:40h. He was suffering from suspected rib fractures, breathing difficulty and suspected inhalation and ingestion of diesel and diesel fumes. Both were in shock and were treated by NSRI medics. Gray said: “It is understood that most (or all) of the remaining crew, 15 men, were asleep in forward compartments when the accident occurred. The vessel sank about 20s after impact.” Swells were up to 5m and a south-westerly wind was expected to reach 20 knots. He said: “There is a wide and long debris field and all four of Lindsay's life-rafts have been found as well as lifejackets, unused, and flotsam and debris have been located by rescuers. By 06:40h there was still no sign of any of the missing crew.”

8 May 2005. Rescue services in Port Elizabeth are exploring the possibility of an underwater search for 14 fishermen who are presumed drowned after their vessel, trawler Lindsay, sank off Sardinia Bay following a collision with fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil. The Lindsay was en route from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth when it collided with the other vessel and sank within 20s. The first vessel on the scene only managed to rescue the skipper, while one crew member was pulled out by another rescue vessel. Air and sea searches for the men were called off earlier this afternoon. Ian Gray, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) Station Commander, said they had retrieved unused lifejackets floating in the ocean. The skipper is still in hospital after suffering chest injuries and inhaling diesel. His crew member was treated and discharged later.

9 May 2005. About 14 crew members of Cape fishing trawler Lindsay are missing presumed dead after their vessel collided with fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil 20 nautical miles south of Port Elizabeth at 01:30, yesterday. Only two survived. Yesterday sea and air searches, spanning more than 21sq nautical miles in high visibility, were called off at 10:00. Lindsay had been preparing to drop anchor when it was in contact with Ouro do Brasil on its port side, 10 nautical miles off Sardinia Bay, while most of its crew was still asleep in forward compartments. About 20s after impact Lindsay apparently turned upside down and began to fill with water. Lindsay's skipper was pushed out of the cabin by water pressure and remained afloat until he was rescued by a nearby fishing vessel, Lincoln, at 02:45. He was breathing with difficulty, possibly from the ingestion and inhalation of diesel fuel. He may have fractured ribs, and was admitted to a private hospital in Port Elizabeth. The other survivor, a crewman knocked overboard from the upper deck, was soon rescued by Ouro do Brasil. He is in a stable condition at St George's Hospital in Port Elizabeth. The NSRI was contacted by Ouro do Brasil at 01:40 and immediately co-ordinated a rescue effort involving the SA Air Force, Metro Rescue and Ambulance Services, Port Elizabeth Fire and Rescue Services, Netcare 911 Ambulance Services and area hospitals. The rescue effort involved 12 vessels and two helicopters. At the site of the accident, rescuers found a mile-long field of debris which contained all of Lindsay's lifejackets and all four of its life-rafts, presumed to be unused. The cause of the collision is under investigation by the SA Maritime Safety Authority and Port Elizabeth police. Officials say it may be difficult to locate Lindsay, as it is 130m below the sea's surface. At the time there were 2m swells and a five-knot south-westerly wind. The water temperature was about 168C. Ouro do Brasil, damaged and leaking, remained at the scene until 09:30, when it was released to dock at Port Elizabeth for repairs. The vessel sailing from Singapore to Brazil and was said to be close to the coast because of a favourable tide. Lindsay, owned by the Viking Fishing group, was making its way from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth when it dropped anchor 10miles off the coast.

9 May 2005. Maritime safety authorities have launched an investigation into the deaths at sea of 14 South African chokka fishermen after fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil collided with their trawler Lindsay off Port Elizabeth. Ouro do Brasil, which has docked in Port Elizabeth with minor damage, has been detained under the Maritime Safety Act for at least the duration of the investigation. Ouro do Brasil was a Liberian registered vessel with German officers and a South American crew, said Captain Nigel Campbell, chief investigator of the South African Maritime Safety Authority in Port Elizabeth. “We have already taken statements from the tanker's master, officer of the watch and lookout and today we will continue the investigation by questioning them,” Campbell said. The investigation into the collision is expected to focus on the two vessels' positions and the extent to which they had kept a proper lookout while at sea.

10 May 2005. The owners of trawler Lindsay, which sank near Port Elizabeth, Sunday (May 8) after a collision with fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil, are still investigating ways to recover bodies that might be trapped in the wreck, according to the Mossel Bay municipality. It is thought that the bodies of all 14 missing crew might be in the wreck of the Lindsay. Just two of the fishing vessel's crew, skipper Paul Landers and Johan Ehlers survived. The SA maritime safety authority's investigating officer, Nigel Campbell, had said earlier they would interview the master of the Ouro do Brasil to establish details of the collision. “The vessel was detained on Sunday in order for us to carry out a preliminary inquiry,” said Campbell, a fishing vessel safety officer.

11 May 2005. Retrieving bodies from trawler Lindsay, which sank following a collision with fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil, has been ruled out because of the depth at which the vessel lies, the owners said today. “We have taken advice from experts and have been told that the Lindsay lies about 150m below the surface,” said Craig Bacon, a Director of Viking Inshore Fishing. He said it was too deep for divers to reach as they would not safely be able to cope with the 14 bars of pressure at that depth. Normal safety standards restrict recreational divers to about 40m but technical divers have been known to reach 200m, diving experts explained. “However, we were also told that if any bodies did manage to escape from the vessel, the extreme cold and pressure would probably prevent them from reaching the surface,” Bacon said. The bodies of 14 fishermen from the Lindsay are still missing after the collision off the coast of Port Elizabeth on Sunday morning (May 8). Bacon said the Lindsay sank 9.5 nautical miles from the shore and 20 nautical miles South-East of Port Elizabeth. Investigators from the SA Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) were interviewing the crew of the Ouro do Brasil in Port Elizabeth harbour today. The vessel has been detained for the duration of the investigation. Spanish interpreters have been called to assist with the interviewing process, Samsa said, stating that they were still trying to determine who was at fault.

19 May 2005. Families of the 14 victims of a tragic May 8 shipping collision off the coast of Port Elizabeth are taking legal action against the vessel they say is responsible for claiming the lives of their loved ones. The dependents claim the negligence of the fruit juice tanker Ouro do Brasil caused the death of 14 of trawler Lindsay's crew members, and are seeking compensation for loss of support by the deceased as projected to retirement age, says their Lawyer, Philip Shaw. In addition, the two survivors of the Lindsay's crew of 16, skipper Paul Landers, 36 and crewman John Ehlers, 37, are taking part in the claim, seeking compensation for any injuries and loss of income they have suffered. The claim was instituted last Friday (May 13), and should take a few months to be processed, said Shaw. Matt Ash, lawyer representing the Ouro do Brasil, confirmed that the claims are being defended, but said his client will not make an official statement until the results of the investigation are released. “Samsa (SA Maritime Safety Authority) must complete its investigation before anyone can make claims as to liability and responsibility. These concerns will be addressed in a formal court process,” said Ash. According to earlier reports, large ships rounding the Cape of Good Hope from east to west come closer to shore to use the Indian Ocean's Aghulas current to speed their passage. From their high bridges, crew members often cannot see small vessels or manoeuvre fast enough to avoid them. Ian Gray, Station Commander of the National Sea Rescue Institute at Port Elizabeth, said he believed “human error” was involved in causing the accident. Gray was quoted as saying: “the bottom line is, obviously, somebody wasn't looking out.”

6 May 2005Sea Bee (Mongolia)

General cargo Sea Bee (3,978 gt, built 1981), Qinghuangdao for Manila, cargo 5,000tons steel, and its 23 Vietnamese crew members have been missing in Chinese waters for four days now, the ship's owner said May 2. Sea Bee was on its way from Qinghuangdao to Manila when it lost radio contact, said officials from Vietnam Maritime University. A subsidiary company of the university had hired the ship. When the ship lost contact, it was 100 nautical miles off the coast of Shanghai, the university said. Sea Bee had earlier sent SOS messages to a local rescue centre in Shanghai, university officials added. According to the Shanghai Rescue Centre, the weather was good when the incident occurred, said officials. Rescue operations are still under way, said officials, but so far, the fate of the ship and its crew remains unknown. On May 3, China sent a rescue boat to the area where Sea Bee went missing. One day later, the Chinese rescue boat found an unidentified body near the area. The body had on a lifejacket with the name Sea Bee, officials said. The university and company have sent representatives to China to identify the body and help speed up rescue works. But, it is still too soon to say the ship had sunk and impossible to know the exact cause of the accident until the missing crew is found, university officials added.

7 May 2005. General cargo Sea Bee from the Vietnam Marine University is believed to have had an accident somewhere off Shanghai from where it sent the last emergency signals on May 1. Sea Bee from the Dong Long Sea Transport Company under the university was said to have sent out the emergency signals to the Eastern Shanghai sea rescue centre when it was more than 100 nautical miles off Shanghai. A Chinese rescue ship discovered a victim's body at 04:00, UTC, May 4 around the water where Sea Bee sent out its last emergency signal, according to a report from the officer on duty at National Searching and Rescue Centre of China sent to the Vietnamese Searching and Rescue Centre. On May 3, the Eastern Shanghai sea rescue centre sent vessel Donghaijiu 169 to the place where Sea Bee sent its last emergency signal for a rescue mission but has so far not yet found any information about the ship. Search and rescue efforts are underway, said Deputy Rector of the Vietnam Marine University Luong Cong Nho. He said that the university has been in regular contact with the Vietnamese Embassy in China and responsible agencies of China, pushing them hard to take all necessary measures to locate the missing sailors and the ship which is believed to have sunk. Sea Bee had bought US$2 million in insurance for the ship and US$25,000 for each of its crew members from the Bao Viet Insurance Company.

8 May 2005. Chinese rescue workers have not found anymore Vietnamese crew members or their cargo ship, general cargo Sea Bee, that went missing in Chinese waters last week except for the body found May 4. The body found by a Chinese rescue boat on May 4 has been identified said a Leader of the Vietnam Maritime University yesterday. A subsidiary company of the university had hired the ship for the journey. Currently, the university and company are trying to repatriate the corpse, said Luong Cong Nho, Deputy Rector of the University. Currently, “it is impossible to identify the cause of the missing vessel,” said Mr Nho, adding that the ship had obtained its operation license from the Vietnam Registry of Shipping.

9 May 2005. General cargo Sea Bee, which went missing along with its 23 Vietnamese crewmen seven days ago in Chinese waters, was confirmed to have sunk, the vessel's owners confirmed yesterday afternoon. Sea Bee was sailing 100 nautical miles off the coast of Shanghai when it sank in the early morning of May 2, said an official from Vietnam Maritime University. A subsidiary company of the university had hired the vessel, carrying 5,000tons of steel, for a journey from China to Manila. Before losing radio contact, the vessel had sent SOS messages to Shanghai Rescue Centre. Although rescue work was immediately commenced, only one body was found by a Chinese rescue vessel around the area where Sea Bee sank. The other 22 crewmen are still unaccounted for. China has suspended rescue operations after seven days in line with international maritime laws.

9 May 2005. General cargo Sea Bee, of the Dong Long Sea Transport Company of the Vietnam Marine University, which went missing on May 1, was found sunk off the coast of Shanghai by the Eastern Shanghai sea rescue Centre of China. The ship was found in lat 32 53.5N, long 122 57.05E, at a depth of 30m, about 100 nautical miles off Shanghai's coast on the international sea route. As of 1,000 today the Vietnam Marine University still had no information about the remaining 22 crew members.

10 May 2005. Rescue authorities have found a second body from the 23 crew on general cargo Sea Bee. The body was brought ashore for identification today. Divers are continuing their efforts to find the remaining 21 missing sailors.

13 May 2005. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson: Le Dung, yesterday refuted a speculation that during a military drill on May 2, Chinese naval ships fired at general cargo Sea Bee and sank it 100 nautical miles off the Shanghai shore. The speculation is groundless, emphasised the spokesman in response to an AP reporter. He quoted Vietnamese authorities as saying that the Sea Bee, which belonged to Viet Nam's Maritime University, had 23 Vietnamese sailors aboard and was carrying5,000tons of steel from China's Quinghuangdao port to Manila, the Philippines, when it sent out SOS signals on May 2, some 100 nautical miles off the Shanghai coast. The ship has Monglian nationality and is managed by the Dong Long Sea Shipping Company. Chinese agencies have so far located the ship and two bodies, one of whom has been identified as Chief Mechanic Dam Cao Van, Dung said. Relevant Vietnamese agencies are working with Chinese concerns who are investigating cause of the accident, the spokesman concluded.

13 May 2005. Vietnam's top insurer BaoViet has said it will pay US$200,000 in preliminary insurance to the Vietnam Marine University for general cargo Sea Bee, which sank some 100 nautical miles off China's shore on May 2. The money will be used to continue the rescue mission, said university sources. Divers are still searching inside the wreck, and by May 11, rescue workers had discovered two bodies, one identified as Chief Mechanic Dam Cao Van, and the other as first mechanic Hua Viet Hai. The university is rushing to complete the paperwork at China's request in order to bring the two victims home. The cause of the accident, however, has not yet been determined and investigations are still going on, police said.

4 June 2005. A hole in the starboard side of the hull adjacent to the engine room wrecked general cargo Sea Bee in Chinese waters, sources have revealed. Although the cause of damage was unknown, the vessel took on water and sank some 100 nautical miles off the Shanghai coast on May 2, carrying a cargo of 5,000tons of steel from China to the Philippines. Chinese authorities have so far collected only three bodies among the 23 Vietnamese sailors aboard Sea Bee. Chinese divers searched the ship's wreckage on May 28-29, but did not recover anymore bodies. Thus, the Shanghai Maritime Search and Rescue Centre called off its search mission on June 1, according to the Vietnamese Maritime University.

14 June 2005. The body of welder Pham Van Xoe, who was on board general cargo Sea Bee which sank off China, is scheduled to arrive at Noi Bai International Airport on June 14. According to the Vietnam Marine University, Xoe was the third found so far of the 23 on board the vessel, which sank on May 1 about 100 nautical miles off Shanghai's coast on the international sea route. The university, the owner of the sunken vessel, has spent roughly US$60,000 in locating and repatriating the three bodies. It said that total expenses of the search for the crew are estimated at US$150,000. The cause of the accident has not yet been determined and investigations are still going on. In October of 2004, work began to upgrade the vessel at a total cost of US$390,000. It was approved by the Vietnamese Shipping Registry and Checking Agency for operations on the international sea route. The Viet Nam Insurance Corporation (Bao Viet) has said that the families of each of the 23 sailors on board the vessel will receive US$25,000, the highest compensation for humans paid out by Bao Viet so far.

9 May 2005Hera (Cambodia)

Turkey is demanding US$30 million damages over the incident in which general cargo Hera sank near the Bosporus strait with 19 people on board – Bulgarians and Ukrainians – Turkish newspaper “Hurriet” reported today. The newspaper said that three Turkish ministries filed the suit against the shipping company that owned Hera.

The ministries say that the shipping company has not pulled the vessel out of the waters and that it is now polluting the region. The vessel sank February 13, 2004, near the Bosporus. All the crew were lost but only five bodies were found. Relatives of the missing sailors from Hera accused Bulgarian and Turkish authorities of purposefully concealing substantial evidence in the case that might prove there had been survivors in the wreck a year ago.

18 May 2005Eva Joy (USA)

The US coast. Guard yesterday defended its response time to burning fishing Eva Joy (66 gt, built 1966) off the coast of New York, saying that, even with new home-security duties, its primary mission remains helping mariners in distress. The Port of Cape May scallop boat Eva Joy caught fire and sank Friday afternoon (May 13) about 45miles South-East of Fire Island, NY. The master and crew have complained about how long it took the Coast Guard to respond and the equipment it deployed – two aircraft but no vessels. All six on Eva Joy were plucked from the water by another commercial fishing boat. Nobody was hurt. Petty Officer 3rd Class Mike Lutz, of Coast Guard public affairs in New York, said there were no Coast Guard vessels in the vicinity. He said a Falcon jet was deployed from Cape Cod and a helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City. Eva Joy Master Tom McNulty Jr said he never saw the Falcon, and the helicopter arrived about 90min after the Cape May fishing Abracadabra rescued the crew. They would have been in the water during this time if not for the Abracadabra. He said the helicopter circled a few times and left. Tom McNulty Sr, who owns the vessel his son captained, was less critical of Atlantic City than the New York Coast Guard, which had jurisdiction over the incident. Petty Officer 3rd Class John Edwards of Air Station Atlantic City said they were notified at 16:05 Friday and had a helicopter airborne at 16:29h. The helicopter arrived at 17:15h. According to Edwards, that was better than average time for the 90mile trip. It took 46min. He noted the Coast Guard has a boat station in Manasquan just 63miles from the incident, but the boat would have taken at least 1h to get there. As far as circling and leaving, Edwards said once they realised everybody was safe on board Abracadabra, there was no reason to stay.

15 May 2005Prince of Patuakhali (Bangladesh)

More than 100 people are missing in Southern Bangladesh after overloaded passenger Prince of Patuakhali sank during a storm, police say. Rescuers have so far found the bodies of six people, four of them children. The ferry was licensed to carry 80, but reports say many more were on board. Witnesses say some 20 people survived the incident in Patuakhali District, about 200km south of Dhaka. Witnesses say those who survived swam to safety or were rescued by nearby boats. Government officials said a rescue vessel was on its way, but unlikely to reach the accident site before tomorrow morning. Survivors say more than 200 passengers were on board when the vessel capsized and sank in deep water near Golapchipa, about 40km east of Patuakhali. One survivor, Oliul Islam, said: “The ferry was heavily loaded with passengers. At about a quarter-to-noon, it tilted in bad weather and strong tides. And when panicked passengers rushed to the other side, the ferry went down.” Strong currents were hampering the rescue operation.

15 May 2005. Passenger Prince of Patuakhali, overloaded, capsized in Southern Bangladesh, killing at least 22 people and leaving about 80 others missing, an official and a witness said. Rescuers recovered the bodies of 22 people, including four children. The death toll could be higher as several bodies were taken away by relatives who searched the vast river in wooden fishing boats. More bodies were also feared trapped inside the sunken ferry, which was yet to be located. A salvage ship was on its way to the find the boat, but strong currents were interfering with the rescue operation, he said. It was carrying more than 150 passengers, twice its capacity, toward Char Montaj from the coastal town of Patuakhali.

17 May 2005. At least 45 people died and more than 40 others were missing after passenger Prince of Patuakhali sank in a storm in Southern Bangladesh, rescuers said today. The toll grew after the boat, which was carrying more than 100 passengers, was salved. Rescuers retrieved nine bodies from the vessel, adding to the 36 already recovered. They said they were still looking for more bodies in the river. “We have registered 45 dead so far and hope few more are likely to be found in the river,” one rescuer said. However, state-owned Bangladesh Television, quoting a private news agency, said 56 bodies had been recovered. Authorities deployed the navy to maintain order after a mob became agitated with police and rescuers, blaming them for a delay in recovering the ferry. “We have located the sunken vessel, but strong currents are repeatedly displacing it, delaying the rescue operation,” said TI Quaderi, commander of the salvage vessel, at one stage. A police officer said: “Scores of bodies might be trapped inside the vessel as the passengers usually shut the doors of the deck during storms.” A witness reported that 20 people had swum to safety or had been rescued by other vessels in the area, a transport authority official said. The report could not be confirmed. The vessel was registered to carry 80 people.

17 May 2005. Hundreds of people crowded a river bank in Bangladesh on today, searching for dozens of loved ones feared drowned when overloaded passenger Prince of Patuakhali sank and killed at least 51 people, witnesses said. Nearly 40 people were still missing after the vessel went down on Sunday (May 15) during a storm in the choppy Tentulia River at Galachipa, 350km south of Dhaka. Officials said they expected to end the search for survivors today but grieving relatives told reporters they would stay there for days to find their loved ones, dead or alive. The vessel was carrying more than 100 passengers and tonnes of merchandise, rescue workers told reporters at Galachipa.

17 May 2005Raipura

Twin-deck ferry Raipura, with more than 100 people on board, capsized in central Bangladesh today, officials said. Raipura went down in the Padma River at Aricha about 100km west of Dhaka. One person was confirmed dead, police said. “The ferry was coming from the nearby district of Pabna and had over 100 people on board when it was caught by a cyclone and capsized at about 17:30 hrs,” said officer-in-charge Abu Yusuf. The ferry was caught by a thunderstorm only 10min away from Aricha River port. The ferry overturned, trapping most of the people inside, as soon as the storm struck. Fire service divers were travelling from Dhaka to the scene of the accident and a salvage vessel would reach the area by early tomorrow. The sunken vessel was lying in the middle of the river in about 15m of water.

18 May 2005. Strong currents have forced a suspension of efforts to find the bodies of scores of passengers feared drowned when ferry Raipura sank. Two people were confirmed dead in yesterday's accident in central Bangladesh. “We have 10 fire service and 19 navy divers here but they cannot do anything at the moment because the strength of the currents is making it too hazardous,” said Nurul Haq, Assistant Director of the Dhaka fire brigade, at the scene. Difficult river conditions also delayed the arrival of the salvage vessel which was not expected to reach the scene before 19:00h, 7h later than expected, the boat's Commander Syed Mainuddin Haider said. Survivors said there were at least 100 people on board the ferry. The sunken vessel was lying in the middle of the river in about 15m of water, officials said.

20 May 2005. At least 33 people died and 120 are still missing after ferry Raipura sank in the River Jamuna, Bangladesh, during a storm earlier this week. The vessel went down with 200 passengers in the Jamuna River at Aricha, about 100km west of the capital Dhaka, in a tropical storm on Tuesday (May 17). “Barring a miracle, it is quite unlikely that anyone would survive so long under water,” Mohammad Abu Yusuf, a police officer monitoring the rescue, said. Efforts to re-float the ferry began yesterday after a rescue vessel, delayed by bad weather, arrived with divers.

21 May 2005. Fierce river currents frustrated attempts by navy divers in Bangladesh to raise ferry Raipura, which sank four days ago with about 200 people on board, rescuers said today. Efforts by the navy, police and volunteers to re-float the ferry have failed since the ferry went down in the Jamuna River at Aricha, about 100km west of the capital Dhaka, during a tropical storm on Tuesday (May 17). Strong currents and stormy weather have repeatedly stalled rescue efforts and hampered the retrieval of scores of bodies thought to be trapped in the sunken ferry. Police said 50 people survived the sinking and rescuers had retrieved 50 bodies by today. About 100 passengers are still missing, also feared drowned. Officials still hoped to finish the rescue and salvage operation in a day or two but divers said part of the ferry was covered by sand, making it too heavy to be lifted. M. Reaz Hasan Khondakar, Chairman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, said from Aricha today: “It's not sure when, or if at all, the ferry can be re-floated. Divers are sweeping the river bed in adverse conditions but so far have been unable to hook it (ferry) up. We are still hopeful... with a 50-50 chance of being successful.” Four bodies the rescuers pulled out of the river today were badly decomposed and beyond identification, officials on the scene said.

22 May 2005. Bangladesh has abandoned efforts to salvage river ferry Raipura, which sank with about 200 people on board during a tropical storm five days ago, officials said today. The end of the rescue attempt left the bodies of around 100 victims believed trapped inside the ferry still in the water. “Continuing bad weather has compelled us to take such an unfortunate decision...” Captain M. Shafiqullah, Director-General of the Department of Shipping, said. Police said 50 people survived the sinking and rescuers had retrieved 50 bodies by yesterday. No bodies had been found since yesterday, they added. Navy, police, fire-fighters and volunteers tried hard, defying rough weather and strong river currents but made no headway.

23 May 2005. Rescue workers yesterday called off the salvage operation of a twin-deck ferry (Raipura) almost a week after it capsized leaving 50 people dead and as many as 40 others missing, officials said. The ferry went down in a storm on the Padma River, 100km west of Dhaka, on Tuesday (May 17) but strong currents and silt have prevented repeated attempts to search the vessel for trapped bodies. “We've just called off the salvage operation as strong currents and the situation ended all our hopes to lift the vessel from river bed,” salvage vessel Commander Syed Mainuddin Haider said. Yesterday a fire brigade diver braved strong currents and dived to the river bed to inspect the state of the sunken ferry. “He was able to attach a rope to the sunken ferry. But he reported that two-thirds of the ferry was already silted up, leaving little hope for pulling it upward,” he said. “We made last attempt to drag it to the shore. But it hardly moved, forcing us to abandon the operation,” Haider added. Several hundred relatives remained at the scene yesterday, waiting agonisingly for news of missing family members. Last week, the crowd numbered several thousand. Some said they were so frustrated at the slow pace of the official search that they hired small boats to scour the river themselves. But many began to leave on Friday, saying that even if the bodies were recovered they would be impossible to identify. The authorities have buried 23 unidentified corpses in a government owned graveyard near the accident site. Survivors said at least 100 people were on board and that about 50 passengers managed to swim to the shore. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Saturday they believed around 40 people have not been unaccounted for. Lieutenant Commander Mahbudur Rashid, the head of the salvage operation, however, said he doubted many bodies were trapped in the sunken vessel. “The windows would not have been able to withstand the force of the currents. They would have broken by now any bodies trapped would have floated to the surface of the river,” he said. Police have deployed patrol boats 30km downstream in the hope of recovering more corpses.

20 May 2005Kabalega (Uganda)

The Parliamentary Committee on Works and Transport has started preparations to investigate the circumstances under which ro/ro Kabalega sank in Lake Victoria. The committee chaired by Mr John Byabagambi (Ibanda South) yesterday drafted the terms of reference under which they would investigate the management of Uganda Railways Corporation (URC), the Minister of Works, Mr John Nasasira and his officials. The inquiry begins on Monday (May 23). Mr Nasasira said he would set up a commission of inquiry into the sinking of the vessel, while Mr Byabagambi said the committee would exercise its mandate to establish why it sank.

24 May 2005. The officer who was in-charge of ro/ro Kaawa at the time of its collision, has no qualification in marine training, Parliament heard yesterday. Stephen Kaliisa, the third officer of the Kaawa which collided with ro/ro Kabalega recently, told the works parliamentary committee probing the cause of the accident that, “I was appointed a cadet in 1999 but I have never gone for professional marine training. After my Senior Six studies in Ibanda, I wanted to develop a career in marine services. I joined the Uganda Railways Corporation and in 1993, I was appointed a sailor and got on-job training to 1999. In March 2002, when the corporation was phasing out cadets, I was appointed third officer in-charge of Kaawa,” the timid Kaliisa told the legislators. The Port Bell-bound Kabalega sank in Lake Victoria after colliding with the Kaawa bound for the Tanzanian port of Mwanza on May 8. The first officer, Samuel Kyabukulu, said Kaliisa was not qualified to steer the vessel. The Kaawa Chief, Captain Albert Ocaya, said, “When I handed over the ship, I did not expect anything strange. I was posted from Kabalega to Kaawa two months ago and had only worked with Kaliisa who was under training for that short period.” “There was poor communication between the officers of Kaawa and Kabalega. If Kaliisa had notified me about the trouble, the accident would have been averted,” Ocaya said. The committee chaired by Nathan Byanyima asked Ocaya whether allegations that he was asleep were true. “I was not asleep. I was very alert because I even heard the bang of the two ships.” He said the navigation lights and one of the radars for steering were missing. Kaliisa said, “With the training I had, I was confident that by adjusting, I would pass Kabalega by use of the red light as we had earlier agreed.” “Kaawa lacked the green light used for crossing but for a long time we used to cross without it.”

27 May 2005. The Minister of Transport and Communications has appointed the former Attorney General, Mr Bert Katureebe, to head the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the sinking of ro/ro Kabalega. Announcing the seven-man team yesterday at the weekly media briefing, Eng, John Nasasira said the commission should get to the root cause of the accident before winding up its work by June 30. “I have set up an inquiry team in accordance with the Commission of Inquiry Act Cap 166. It will sit at Kyambogo, will be open and will start work on June 1,” Nasasira said. “The commission will assess the seaworthiness of Kabalega and ro/ro Kaawa in terms of technical conditions before the vessels collided, to include manning levels of the two ferries, communication facilities on board, off-shore and stability conditions,” Nasasira said. He said it would also investigate and establish the possible causes of the accident. “This will include assessment of the watch keeping arrangement on board of the two vessels before the accident.” The commission will conduct interviews with the ferries' crew on board. They will also assess and advise the maritime off-shore and shore facilities required for safe navigation on Uganda Railway Corporation (URC) ferries on Lake Victoria. The commission will investigate and ascertain the status of routine surveys, certification and insurance of URC ferries. Assess and advise on URC's procedures for manning vessels in accordance with internationally recognised maritime standards on manning level, qualifications and refresher training, maritime emergency plans. “It will also investigate the adequacy of existing legislation and recommendations for maritime transport safety,” Nasasira said. The team is also expected to recommend short, medium and long-term measures on what should be done to enhance the safety of navigation on inland waters to avoid such accidents in future. Nasasira set up a task force under his chairmanship to plan, manage and coordinate all post accident decisions and actions. The task force will have Prof. Peter Kasenene and Mr Paul Etiang among others. “The task force shall ensure that the Kaawa accident damage is repaired, the necessary installations and repairs required to re-equip ro/ro Pamba and Kaawa are carried out and the vessels insured. They will search and assess the damage for Kabalega, determine cost recovery and decide whether it is economically viable to recover, repair, insure and re-use the vessel,” Nasasira said.

12 June 2005. The wreckage of sunken ro/ro Kabalega has been located on the bed of Lake Victoria. Two deep-sea divers made the discovery on Thursday afternoon. Works Minister Eng John Nasasira said on Friday, “They are currently working on their salvage plan, but the good news is they have sighted the ferry, which is lying tilted on the floor of the lake.” He said the divers from M/s SubTech Diving and Marine, Durban, had not assessed the magnitude of the damage to the vessel. Earlier in the week the minister inaugurated a five-man commission of inquiry, led by former Attorney General Bart Katureebe, to investigate the sinking of the ferry. Three technical advisers from the International Maritime Organisation, Capt. Edwards Agbakoba, a marine safety administration expert, Dr Ademun Odeke, a marine legislation expert, both based in London and Capt. Ernest Okkert Grapow, a marine salvage expert from South Africa will assist the commission. Tim Cooper, the owner of Bulago Islands on Lake Victoria, who went with the divers to the accident spot, said it took them 4h to locate the vessel, which was lying upside down, 150ft on the bed of the lake. Sources said given the length of time it has taken to locate the wreck, the ferry had become covered with mud, which may add to the retrieval cost. The discovery came after futile attempts by divers from the Kenya Ports Authority and Alpha Logistics from Tanzania to locate the vessel.

23 June 2005. The commission investigating the ro/ro Kabalega accident on Lake Victoria yesterday heard that the rescue equipment was painstakingly assembled by various agencies, failing to save the vessel from sinking. So much time was spent on mobilising resources that by the time most of the equipment had been assembled, the ferry had sunk. Appearing before the commission, the commander of the Presidential Guard Brigade (PGB), Lt. Col. Leopold Eric Kyanda, criticised the country's capacity to respond to catastrophes. Two other witnesses, Capt. Isaac Sebulime, the commanding officer of the PGB marine unit and Tim Cooper, the Director of Lake Victoria Sailing Company, which owns Bulago Island, appeared before the commission. Kyanda said the army commander informed him of the accident at about 08:00h. Assisted by Sebulime, the Police and officials of other agencies, Kyanda said he tried to assemble rescue equipment as the ferry slowly sunk. Kyanda said they lacked logistics and by the time they got to the accident scene, the ferry had sunk. He said the PGB lacked rescue equipment and relied on “friends” when the need arose. Kyanda made recommendations, a copy of which he handed over to the commission. He called for the establishment of an agency for coordinating rescue operations.

20 May 2005Bay of Bengal

A boat with about 100 people on board has sunk in a river in Southern Bangladesh during a severe storm. Police say the boat has disappeared in the turbulent Meghna River estuary to the Bay of Bengal, about 325km South of Dhaka. They say most of the people on board have either been rescued or swam to safety, but nearly 40 people are missing.

23 June 2005Simeiz (Ukraine)

Fishing Simeiz (1,105 gt, built 2001) with international crew on board burnt at the port of Montevideo yesterday. About 11 crew members of the vessel have been reported missing – the captain, who is a Ukrainian citizen, an Indonesian and nine Chinese citizens. The 56m vessel called at Montevideo port after a six-month fishing in the Atlantic. Aside from the catch of fish, the vessel had in its holds 160tons of fuel and 6tons of ammonia for the vessel's refrigerator unit. The blazing vessel was towed away from the quay due to the danger of an explosion and ammonia leak. Fire-fighting boats were engaged in the effort to extinguish the fire. They used water cannons to put out the flames, but failed to totally liquidate the fire and the vessel burnt out.

22 June 2005. About 11 of 39 crewmembers of Ukrainian long-liner Simeiz moored in Montevideo which caught fire early today remain missing. The vessel had to be towed out to the bay because it was carrying 6tons of ammonia and had recently refuelled. According to Montevideo port and Fire Department officials the fire started at 03:12h and among the missing are the Ukrainian master, an Indonesian and nine Chinese crewmembers. “Given the time the fire broke out, most probably the missing crew members were locked in their cabins and because of the smoke presumably have died” reported Montevideo port authorities. After 12h of combating the blaze, “the situation is under control but the fire is not entirely extinguished” said a spokesman from the Fire Department who revealed that 9h had to elapse before the firemen working from a tug could board Simeiz. Dense smoke could still be seen at mid day today from the vessel in Montevideo's bay. Although flagged in Ukraine Simiez belongs to a Spanish company, “normally operates from Montevideo” and called in June 20 to unload approximately 112tons of fish presumably toothfish. Uruguayan naval authorities reported that Simiez has been operating in the South Atlantic for the last six months catching toothfish. Besides the 6tons of ammonia for the freezing equipment, the long-liner also was carrying 300tons of heavy fuel. Forensic experts and judicial authorities were waiting for safety clearance to board the vessel and begin the investigation. The Montevideo Port Administration report shows Triomar as Seimiez maritime agents, a company which works with Spanish companies. The vessel which is Galician owned, caught fire June 22, at Montevideo and although in principle the fire seemed controlled, at time of writing, reports indicate that the fire still not fully controlled. Vessel, formerly named Florens 1 and Florence had a crew of 30 of which 11 missing, but not necessarily dead, as they might be on leave or ashore. Three Spanish crew members have been located and on their way back to Spain. The remaining crew are Chinese, Indonesian, and Ukranian.

29 June 2005Brown Water V (USA)

Families of eight people who were killed when tug Brown Water V caused a portion of the causeway to South Padre Island to collapse in 2001 are among plaintiffs who will receive about $9 million in a settlement tentatively approved by a judge today, attorneys said. The bridge collapsed September 15, 2001, after a tug master lost control of a string of barges, and currents drove them into a bridge support. The impact caused two 80ft sections of bridge roadway to tumble into the bay. Motorists crossing the bridge about 02:00h fell into the chasm. A third 80ft section fell later that morning. Three people whose cars fell off the bridge survived. The settlement with Brown Water Towing comes about a week after US District Judge Hilda Tagle dismissed American Commercial Barge Lines, based in Jeffersonville, Ind, from the lawsuit. Plaintiffs' lawyer Ray Marchan had said he hoped to prove that the barge line, said to be insured for $500 million, hired a tow company that it knew had problems. Marchan said today that the settlement vindicated his claim that a cause of the accident was inadequate horsepower to control the boat in high current. How the Brown Water money will be divided is still unclear, said Will Pierson, attorney for the Rockport-based company. He said the plaintiffs would probably get the approximately $9 million left in the company's insurance fund. “At one time we had $17 million in our policies, so they've wasted about $8 million by chasing after ACBL,” he said. There are 17 plaintiffs in the case: family of the eight who died, three survivors, four fishermen who helped in the rescue and two children who lost parents. David Fowler, who had filed a negligence suit against his employer, already settled for $50,000. At one point there were about a dozen lawsuits from the collapse. The plaintiffs' lawsuits against the barge and tow companies had been consolidated into this action.

28 June 2005Taki Tooo (USA)

Federal safety officials today faulted the skipper of a charter fishing vessel that sank off the Oregon coast in 2003, killing 11 people, saying he used poor judgment in deciding to take the boat out in hazardous conditions. The report by the National Transportation Safety Board also criticized the captain of Taki Tooo for failing to ensure that everyone on board wore lifejackets, and faulted the Coast Guard for failing to enforce federal regulations on the use of lifejackets in hazardous conditions. About 11 people, including veteran sea captain Doug Davis, were killed in the June 2003 accident near Tillamook Bay. Of those killed, only one was wearing a lifejacket; six of the eight people who survived were wearing lifejackets, the report said. The report said the condition of the Tillamook Bay channel and two aging jetties – which residents have long complained are unsafe – did not play a role in the accident. The report also said that an antidepressant the 66-year-old Davis was taking to combat his insomnia was not a factor in the accident. The report described Davis – who sold the boat two years before the accident but continued to operate it – as a veteran skipper who had crossed the sandbar at Tillamook Bay more than a thousand times. Davis's wife, Sharon, told investigators that her husband was in good health, feeling fine and looking forward to taking the boat out that day. Ellen Engleman Conners, chairman-designate of the NTSB, said she found it incredible that Davis spent about 30min deciding whether to cross the bar – given swelling seas with waves that topped 10ft – but did “not spend 30s doing the obvious: telling (passengers) to put their lifejackets on. It doesn't make sense.” In fact, while six survivors were wearing lifejackets when rescued, the investigation found that none of the 19 people on board was wearing a life vest until the boat began to sink. Most of those who were rescued were inside the 32ft boat's cabin and had grabbed flotation devices after the boat capsized, the report said. One passenger who grabbed a lifejacket was found dead in the cabin. It was not clear why that person, a 66-yearold man, was unable to escape, the report said. Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the NTSB, called the accident one that “clearly could have been prevented” if Davis had heeded Coast Guard warnings about rough seas and stayed in port. Far fewer lives would have been lost if the 17 passengers and two crew members were wearing lifejackets, Rosenker said. The report said it was not clear whether Davis was trying to turn the boat around or had lost control when it was struck by a 15ft wave and capsized.

30 June 2005Bangladesh

At least 35 fishermen were missing, feared drowned, after their boats sank during a storm in the Bay of Bengal, officials said today. The strong winds and heavy rain also damaged several hundred houses on islands off Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar sea resort on yesterday night, they said. “The fishermen have remained missing with their eight boats since the year's first monsoon storm swept wide areas along the coast,” a disaster management official said. The search for the missing continued today. Bangladesh Meteorological Department said the stormy weather would likely last a few more days.

9 July 2005Digul (Indonesia)

Dozens are missing and feared dead after ferry Digul (224 gt, built 1995) sank in rough seas off Indonesia's easternmost Province of Papua. Rescue officers in Merauke District in Papua said that fishermen had rescued 16 survivors until today, but dozens of others were believed to be missing. The accident occurred at 16:00, local time, Friday (July 8) when the Digul, owned by the state-owned transport company PT ASDP, reportedly sank off Tanah Merah District in Papua. Local rescue workers said that the vessel, plying the Merauke-Tanah Merah route, went down due to very bad weather. The exact number of passengers on board the vessel remained unclear, but according to the passenger list, it was carrying 46 people, including 12 crew members, when it left Merauke harbour in Southern Papua. In addition to heavy equipment including bulldozers, cement and other construction materials, the vessel was also carrying 40tons of diesel oil.

10 July 2005. As many as 200 people were feared dead days after ferry Digul capsized in rough seas off Eastern Indonesia, a rescue official said today. The vessel sank on Thursday night (July 7) off the coast of Papua Province while heading from the port town of Merauke to Tanah Merah, about 124miles to the north, said Sumpeno Juono of the local Search and Rescue agency. The ferry was officially reported to be carrying 50 crew and passengers, but survivors said about 200 people were on board, Sumpeno said. So far, only 15, two crewmen and 13 passengers, have been found. Sumpeno said the overloaded vessel, which was also carrying vehicles, heavy equipment and 40tons of diesel oil, did not have any safety equipment and sank quickly in rough waters. “We believe the number of missing passengers could reach almost 200,” said Sumpeno, who had little hope of finding any more survivors. Rescue operations were hampered today by heavy rains and 13ft-high waves, he said. Merauke is about 2,360miles east of the capital, Jakarta.

12 July 2005. Ferry Digul: Merauke Rescue Agency deployed five boats yesterday with attention focusing on righting the vessel. Search teams today braved choppy waters to search for survivors from ferry Digul, which sank in Eastern Indonesia killing up to 200 people, while rescue vessels prepared to turn the stricken vessel to see if bodies remained trapped inside. Tallying a final death toll in Thursday's (July 7) disaster off the southern coast of remote Papua Province will be difficult because the vessel was carrying far more passengers than reflected in its manifest. The vessel was officially reported to be carrying 50 crew and passengers, but survivors have told authorities the number of people on board was five times that. So far, only 15 – two crewmen and 13 passengers – have been found alive. Five vessels combed the area yesterday, but found no bodies. Rescue teams now feared no other people would be found alive, but that the search would go until Thursday, said Sumpeno Juono, from the local Search and Rescue agency. “It is going to be difficult to find the bodies because many were taken away by high waves and will be washed into thick mangrove forests,” he said. The vessel is currently floating on its side in deep water. Rescue vessels equipped with ropes and primitive winches were today trying to flip it over to gain access to its hold, where it is feared bodies remain.