Skip to main content

Accidents

Commando (2012)

On 22 February 2012 at about 11:30 local time, the Dutch tug Commando capsized and sank on the Nieuwe Maas near the Van Brienenoordbrug while assisting the coaster Elevation. The two-person crew was rescued by the assisting tug Gepke. Commando was raised the following day and taken to the IJ.V.C. Bolnes yard.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Capsize unknown mechanism
  • Severity: High
  • Evidence status: Corroborated maritime reporting and vessel-registry records; no official investigation report located

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameCommando
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateNetherlands [NL]
IMO Number
MMSI244710315
Call SignPH4554
ENI Number06004114
Gross Tonnage28
LOA (m)19.63
Breadth (m)5.31
Power (kW)
Owner/Operator
Year Built1955
Other VesselElevation
Rescue/Assisting TugGepke

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2012-02-22
TimeApproximately 11:30 local time
LocationNieuwe Maas near the Van Brienenoordbrug, river km 993, Netherlands
Coordinates51.9000, 4.5500
RegionNorth Sea
Fatalities0
Injuries
Missing0
Cargo Loss
Direct Damage
Economic Damage
Insured Loss
Salvage/Cleanup Cost

Key facts

  • Commando capsized and sank while assisting Elevation.
  • The two-person crew was rescued by the second assisting tug, Gepke.
  • Only part of Commando's wheelhouse remained above water after the sinking.
  • A Mammoet Maritime sheerleg named Ajax raised Commando on 23 February 2012.
  • The reported response included Rotterdam Harbour Service and several emergency and support vessels; ILT was reported to have opened an investigation.

Narrative

Commando was a Dutch inland tug built in 1955 and identified in web vessel records by ENI 06004114 and MMSI 244710315. On 22 February 2012, it was assisting the coaster Elevation on the Nieuwe Maas near the Van Brienenoordbrug at river kilometre 993. Vessel-tracking casualty records place the capsize and sinking at about 11:30 local time. A small part of the wheelhouse remained visible after the tug went down.

The second assisting tug Gepke rescued both members of Commando's crew. Reports also identify RPA 10, RWS24, P4, P8, RWS71, Hebo-Cat 5, Matador, and Pieter L. among the vessels attending the response. No reviewed source establishes the crew's injury status, the precise mechanism of the capsize, or the extent and value of damage.

On 23 February, the Mammoet Maritime sheerleg Ajax raised the tug. Rotterdam Harbour Service regulated traffic around the casualty site, after which the tug Groenland took Commando alongside and moved it to the IJ.V.C. Bolnes yard. Maritime reporting stated that the Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport opened an investigation, but no resulting report or findings were located in the reviewed web sources.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2012-02-22 11:30 localCommando capsized and sank while assisting Elevation on the Nieuwe Maas.
2012-02-22Gepke rescued the two-person Commando crew; response vessels attended the scene.
2012-02-23The Ajax sheerleg raised Commando; Groenland moved the tug to the IJ.V.C. Bolnes yard.
2012-02-24Maritime reporting stated that the Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport had opened an investigation.

Investigation

The Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport was reported to have opened an investigation after the sinking. No official ILT report or published causal finding was located in the reviewed web sources. The precise capsize mechanism, crew injury status, pollution, and repair outcome remain unresolved.

References

Similar incidents