Classification
- Incident Type: Capsize girding
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Vessel Name | Cervia |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | United Kingdom [GB] |
| IMO Number | 5067534 |
| Call Sign | GDPM |
| Official Number | 180997 |
| Gross Tonnage | 233 |
| LOA (m) | 34.3 |
| Breadth (m) | 8.3 |
| Bollard Pull (t) | |
| Power (kW) | |
| Owner/Operator | |
| TEU | |
| Year Built | 1946 |
| Crew Size | |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|
| Date | 1954-10-26 |
| Location | River Thames at Tilbury, near Gravesend, England |
| Coordinates | 51.4425, 0.3694 |
| Region | United Kingdom |
| Fatalities | 5 |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Cargo Loss | |
| Direct Damage | Cervia capsized and sank during the assist, then was raised and taken to Ramsgate for refit. |
| Economic Damage | |
| Insured Loss | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost | |
Key facts
- Cervia capsized and sank at Tilbury while assisting the undocking of the liner Arcadia.
- Five crew members, including the master, died; three crew members survived and were rescued by the tug Challenge.
- A government heritage record states that Arcadia put her engines ahead to avoid another vessel, pulling Cervia sideways.
- The tug was raised on 1954-10-28 and taken to Ramsgate for refit.
Narrative
The government heritage record places the casualty on 1954-10-26 at Tilbury. Cervia was assisting the P&O liner Arcadia, which put her engines ahead while avoiding another vessel. The resulting movement pulled Cervia sideways and the tug capsized and sank. Five crew members, including the master, were lost; three survivors were rescued by Challenge.
The source record states that Cervia was raised two days later and taken to Ramsgate for refit. A preservation-trust account says a court of inquiry recorded the deaths as accidental and attributed the sinking to failure of a quick-release pin on the towing hook. That mechanism is retained as reported rather than as an independently verified finding because the public court report was not located. One preservation source labels the incident 1954-10-25, while the Kent heritage record and other web records use 1954-10-26.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|
| 1954-10-26 | Cervia assisted Arcadia during undocking at Tilbury on the River Thames. |
| 1954-10-26 | Arcadia put her engines ahead to avoid another vessel, pulling Cervia sideways; the tug capsized and sank. |
| 1954-10-26 | Five crew members died and three survivors were rescued by Challenge. |
| 1954-10-28 | Cervia was raised and taken to Ramsgate for refit. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description |
|---|
| Arcadia's avoidance maneuver and resulting wash | Reported | The Kent heritage record states that Arcadia put her engines ahead to avoid another vessel, pulling Cervia sideways. |
| Quick-release pin failure | Reported | The Steam Tug Cervia Preservation Trust attributes the sinking to failure of a quick-release pin on the towing hook and says this was recorded by a court of inquiry. |
Investigation
A preservation-trust account reports that a court of inquiry found the deaths accidental and attributed the sinking to a failed quick-release pin. The public court report itself was not located, so the investigation finding remains reported rather than independently reviewed.
References
Similar incidents
