Classification
- Incident Type: Sinking
- Severity: High
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Commando |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| ENI Number | 02315230 |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Other vessel | Sailing yacht; reported names conflict |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2018-07-20 |
| Location | Oude Maas near the Botlekbrug, Rotterdam |
| Region | North Sea |
| Coordinates | |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | 0 |
| Missing | |
| Vessels lost | 2 |
| Vessel outcome | Both vessels sank and were subsequently recovered |
Key facts
- The tug and yacht sank at about 07:45 on 20 July 2018. Rijnmond, 20 July 2018
- One vessel took on water and pulled the other down; which sank first was unresolved. Schuttevaer, 20 July 2018
- Two people from the tug were rescued by a passing inflatable boat; nobody was aboard the yacht. Schuttevaer, 20 July 2018
- Ambulance staff checked both rescued people and neither required hospital treatment. Rijnmond, 20 July 2018
- The tug was recovered on Saturday 21 July and the yacht on Sunday 22 July. Rijnmond, 22 July 2018
Narrative
Commando was towing a sailing yacht from Rotterdam to a shipyard in Numansdorp when both vessels sank on the Oude Maas near the Botlekbrug at about 07:45 on 20 July 2018. Schuttevaer reported that the tow had left the Koningshaven about an hour and a half earlier. One vessel took on water and dragged the other down; the report did not establish which sank first. The tug's two occupants entered the water and were rescued by a passing inflatable boat. Nobody was aboard the yacht. Schuttevaer, 20 July 2018
Ambulance staff examined the rescued people ashore; neither was taken to hospital. Rijnmond, 20 July 2018 Salvage began the next afternoon. Rijnmond reported that the tug was raised on Saturday to keep its bunker fuel contained, followed by the yacht on Sunday. The yacht was heavily damaged. Rijnmond, 22 July 2018
The yacht's identity remains disputed: Schuttevaer names Aegir, while Shipwreck Log and a later maritime-history publication, p. 52 name Sera. No official finding has resolved that discrepancy or established the initial water-ingress cause.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2018-07-20, about 07:45 | Commando and its tow sank; the tug's two occupants were rescued by a passing inflatable boat. Schuttevaer, 20 July 2018 |
| Later that morning | Ambulance staff examined both people; neither required hospital treatment. Rijnmond, 20 July 2018 |
| 2018-07-21 | The tug was raised to contain its bunker fuel. Rijnmond, 22 July 2018 |
| 2018-07-22 | The yacht was raised. Rijnmond, 22 July 2018 |
Investigation
Rijnmond reported that further investigation was needed and that cameras near the bridge might help establish what happened. Rijnmond, 20 July 2018 Schuttevaer stated that the first vessel to sink was unclear. Schuttevaer, 20 July 2018 No completed official investigation findings have been identified. The reported poor condition of the yacht does not establish the cause of its sinking.
References
- Rijnmond, Schepen gezonken bij Botlekbrug, 20 July 2018
- Schuttevaer, Zeilschip en sleepboot zinken bij Botlekbrug, 20 July 2018
- Rijnmond, Ook bij Botlekbrug gezonken zeilboot geborgen, 22 July 2018
- Shipwreck Log, Commando, 20 July 2018
- Marhisdata, maritime-history newsletter, p. 52