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Accidents

Multratug 27 (2016)

At about 19:45 on 21 December 2016, the Dutch harbour tug Multratug 27 was establishing a towage connection with an incoming seagoing vessel in Sloehaven, Vlissingen. The Dutch Safety Board's occurrence entry states that the chief engineer was paying out the towing line using the bridge winch controls, the captain was holding the tug in position, and the incoming vessel was hoisting the line aboard.

Classification

  • Incident Type: Other
  • Severity: Medium

Vessel Details

FieldValue
Vessel NameMultratug 27
Vessel TypeTug
Flag StateNetherlands [NL]
IMO Number9667875
Gross Tonnage294
LOA (m)28.67
Breadth (m)10.43
Bollard Pull (t)63
Year Built2013

Incident Details

FieldValue
Date2016-12-21
LocationSloehaven, Vlissingen, Netherlands
RegionNorth Sea
Fatalities
Injuries1
Missing
Direct Damage
Economic Damage

Key facts

  • At about 19:45 on 21 December 2016, Multratug 27 was making a towage connection with an incoming seagoing vessel in Sloehaven.
  • The chief engineer paid out the tug's towing line from the bridge winch controls, while the captain held position and the incoming vessel hoisted the line aboard.
  • A deckhand saw that the line had jammed and walked toward it to rectify the problem, contrary to regulations cited in the report.
  • The line freed while he was walking toward the towing drum and struck the side of his head; he fell unconscious.
  • The tug reached shore at about 20:20. The deckhand was taken by ambulance to hospital, where a basilar skull fracture and concussion were diagnosed.

Narrative

At about 19:45 on 21 December 2016, the Dutch harbour tug Multratug 27 was establishing a towage connection with an incoming seagoing vessel in Sloehaven, Vlissingen. The Dutch Safety Board's occurrence entry states that the chief engineer was paying out the towing line using the bridge winch controls, the captain was holding the tug in position, and the incoming vessel was hoisting the line aboard.

A deckhand noticed the line had jammed and walked toward it to rectify the problem. The report says this was contrary to the applicable regulations. The incoming vessel continued hoisting. As the deckhand approached the towing drum, the line freed and struck the side of his head, leaving him unconscious. Multratug 27 returned directly to shore and was moored at about 20:20. An ambulance took the deckhand to hospital, where he was diagnosed with a basilar skull fracture and concussion.

Sequence of events

Date/timeEvent
2016-12-21 19:45Multratug 27 was making a towage connection with an incoming seagoing vessel in Sloehaven.
2016-12-21The towing line jammed during the operation; the deckhand approached it while the other vessel continued hoisting.
2016-12-21The line freed and struck the deckhand's head, leaving him unconscious.
2016-12-21 20:20Multratug 27 was moored at shore; the injured deckhand was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Investigation

The Dutch Safety Board included the occurrence in its shipping report covering November 2016 to April 2017. The report lists it as a serious injury and says it was not extensively investigated. It records the circumstances and injury but does not provide a detailed causal analysis or recommendations.

References

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