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Accidents

Cervia (1954)

Cervia was assisting the P&O liner Arcadia during an undocking manoeuvre at Tilbury on the River Thames. National Historic Ships dates the casualty to 26 October 1954 and describes Arcadia moving stern first. To avoid another vessel, Arcadia put her engines ahead and pulled Cervia sideways. The tug capsized and sank, killing its master and four other crew members. [1]

Classification

  • Incident Type: Capsize girding
  • Severity: High

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameCervia
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateUnited Kingdom [GB]
IMO Number5067534
Call SignGDPM
Official Number180997
Gross Tonnage233
LOA (m)34.4
Breadth (m)8.36
Bollard Pull (t)
Power (kW)
Owner/Operator
TEU
Year Built1946
Crew Size

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date1954-10-26
LocationRiver Thames at Tilbury, near Gravesend, England
RegionUnited Kingdom
Fatalities5
Injuries
Missing
Cargo Loss
Direct Damage
Economic Damage
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • Cervia capsized and sank while assisting Arcadia at Tilbury. [1][2]
  • The master and four other crew members died; Challenge rescued three survivors according to the preservation trust. [1][2]
  • Arcadia put her engines ahead to avoid another vessel and pulled the tug sideways. [1]
  • The 25 versus 26 October casualty date remains disputed. [1][2]
  • The preservation trust records salvage on 28 October; Cervia was taken to Ramsgate for refit. [2][3]

Narrative

Cervia was assisting the P&O liner Arcadia during an undocking manoeuvre at Tilbury on the River Thames. National Historic Ships dates the casualty to 26 October 1954 and describes Arcadia moving stern first. To avoid another vessel, Arcadia put her engines ahead and pulled Cervia sideways. The tug capsized and sank, killing its master and four other crew members. [1]

The preservation trust reports that the tug Challenge rescued the three surviving crew members in darkness. It also states that efforts to release the towing hawser failed and attributes the sinking to a failed quick-release pin on the towing hook, citing a subsequent court of inquiry. That attribution remains a reported finding because the inquiry text has not been recovered. [2]

The trust dates the casualty to 25 October, while National Historic Ships gives 26 October. The exact calendar date remains disputed. Both accounts describe a fatal capsize during the Arcadia assist, and the trust gives 28 October as the salvage date. Cervia was raised and taken to Ramsgate for refit before returning to service. [1][2][3]

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
1954-10-26 (disputed; trust gives 1954-10-25)Cervia assisted Arcadia during undocking at Tilbury. [1][2]
Same manoeuvreArcadia put her engines ahead; Cervia was pulled sideways and capsized and sank. [1]
Following the capsizeFive crew members died; Challenge rescued three survivors according to the trust. [1][2]
1954-10-28The trust records salvage; Cervia was taken to Ramsgate for refit. [2][3]

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Arcadia's engine manoeuvre and sideways pullReportedNational Historic Ships describes engines ahead to avoid another vessel, pulling Cervia sideways. [1]
Towhook quick-release pin failureReportedThe preservation trust attributes this to a court of inquiry; the original finding has not been independently checked. [2]

Investigation

The Steam Tug Cervia Preservation Trust reports that a court of inquiry recorded accidental deaths and attributed the sinking to a failed quick-release pin. The original inquiry text is unavailable in the cited evidence, so this attribution remains a reported finding. [2]

References

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