Classification
- Incident Type: Sinking
- Severity: High
- Vessel Type: Tug
- Evidence: Secondary casualty report
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Ingenika |
| Vessel Type | Tug |
| Flag State | |
| IMO Number | |
| Gross Tonnage | |
| LOA (m) | |
| Owner/Operator | Wainwright Marine Services |
| Crew Size | 3 |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2021-02-11 |
| Location | Gardner Canal near Kemano, British Columbia |
| Region | Canada |
| Coordinates | 54.0536, -128.6541 |
| Fatalities | 2 |
| Injuries | 1 |
| Missing | 0 |
| Vessels Lost | 1 |
| Direct Damage |
Key facts
- Ingenika capsized and sank on 11 February 2021 while towing the barge Miller 204 toward Kemano Bay.
- The tug's emergency beacon activated at about 00:40, approximately 16 nautical miles north of Gribbell Island.
- Two of the three mariners aboard died; a third was found alive and taken to hospital with serious injuries.
- Search teams later found Miller 204 aground about four miles from the tug's last known position.
- The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated, but the reviewed report does not provide a final cause.
Narrative
On 10 February 2021, Ingenika left Kitimat at about 16:00 with the 200-foot barge Miller 204 in tow, bound for Kemano Bay to discharge construction equipment. The converted Professional Mariner report states that the 36-foot tug was operating in Gardner Canal during a strong winter storm, with temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit and winds gusting beyond 60 mph. At about 00:40 on 11 February, the tug's emergency beacon activated approximately 16 nautical miles north of Gribbell Island. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police vessel Inkster responded and found one crew member deceased. The Canadian Coast Guard later recovered the captain's body. A private helicopter found the surviving deck hand alive ashore and transported him to hospital with serious injuries.
The report says that Miller 204 was later found aground about four miles from the tug's last known position, while Ingenika remained sunk in an unidentified location. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada was investigating and had expanded the scope of its work, but the reviewed material did not state what caused the tug to capsize. It records that all three crew were accounted for, while the tug's exact registry particulars, damage cost, and final investigation findings remain unresolved.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2021-02-10 16:00 | Ingenika left Kitimat with Miller 204 in tow, bound for Kemano Bay. |
| 2021-02-11 00:40 | The tug's emergency beacon activated north of Gribbell Island. |
| 2021-02-11 | The RCMP vessel Inkster responded and found one crew member deceased. |
| 2021-02-11 | The Canadian Coast Guard recovered the captain's body, and a private helicopter took the surviving deck hand to hospital. |
| 2021-02-11 | Miller 204 was later found aground about four miles from Ingenika's last known position. |
Investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigated the sinking and expanded the scope of its work. The reviewed Professional Mariner report states that a final report was not yet available and that the circumstances aboard the tug remained unclear. It does not establish whether stability, structural, mechanical, or other factors caused the capsize.