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Accidents

Sea Cap VII (2012)

On 28 June 2012, Sea Cap VII girded and capsized while shifting a barge near the Pattullo Bridge in the Fraser River, British Columbia. TSB report M18P0230 records the event in Appendix B. [1]

Classification

  • Incident Type: Capsize girding
  • Severity: Medium

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameSea Cap VII
Vessel TypeTug
Flag State
IMO Number
Gross Tonnage
LOA (m)

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2012-06-28
LocationFraser River near the Pattullo Bridge, British Columbia
Coordinates
RegionCanada
Fatalities
Injuries1
Missing
Vessels Lost1
Direct Damage
Economic Damage

Key facts

  • TSB Appendix B identifies occurrence M12W0153 on 2012-06-28.
  • Sea Cap VII was shifting a barge in Fraser River near the Pattullo Bridge, British Columbia.
  • The tug girded and capsized.
  • Professional Mariner reported an injured captain, rescue by Sea Cap III and a sunken tug.

Narrative

On 28 June 2012, Sea Cap VII girded and capsized while shifting a barge near the Pattullo Bridge in the Fraser River, British Columbia. TSB report M18P0230 records the event in Appendix B. [1]

Professional Mariner reported that the captain was repositioning a barge along a dock to facilitate unloading. A TSB investigator said a towline caught at the tug's port stern quarter and strong freshet currents turned the tug abeam before the captain could respond. These are attributed circumstances, rather than findings in a dedicated published investigation. [2]

The injured captain was rescued by Sea Cap III. The tug remained submerged when the article appeared in September 2012; recovery was planned, so sinking is established but permanent total loss is not. [2]

The occurrence identifier remains disputed: Appendix B lists M12W0153, while a separate TSB report associates Sea Cap VII with M12W0098. That identifier conflict does not negate the independently reported capsize, but cannot be resolved from these reports. [1][3]

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2012-06-28Sea Cap VII girded and capsized while shifting a barge; Sea Cap III rescued the injured captain. [1][2]
2012-09-26Professional Mariner reported that the tug remained submerged and that recovery was planned. [2]

Contributing factors

FactorEvidence statusDescription
Towline entanglement and currentReportedProfessional Mariner attributed these circumstances to a TSB investigator’s account.

Investigation

TSB report M18P0230 provides a historical Appendix B entry for M12W0153, not a dedicated investigation report for Sea Cap VII. No standalone report has been identified. The causal findings concerning George H. Ledcor do not establish the causes of this occurrence. Professional Mariner quoted a TSB investigator expecting no further investigation in 2012. A later TSB report lists Sea Cap VII under M12W0098; whether this refers to the same accident requires confirmation.

References

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