Two crew members of a tanker were injured Wednesday after falling overboard when a lifeboat unexpectedly released off the coast of Virginia. The U.S. Coast Guard says aircrews recovered the men from the water and flew them to a hospital in Norfolk due to injuries that included a stomach laceration and broken leg. According to the Coast Guard, the two engineers were … [Read more...]
Crew Concerns Saved Lives When Rescue Boat Unintentionally Released During Drill
Crew members’ concern over the safety of rescue boats being lowered from heights prevented an accidental release of a boat during a training exercise from turning fatal, the Danish Maritime Investigation Branch said in a report on the incident. The DMAIB issued its summary report on the unintentional release of a rescue boat on the Fjord Line passenger vessel Bergensfjord, … [Read more...]
Two Injured in Rescue Boat Drill on B.C. Ferry
A B.C. Ferries car and passenger ferry has been temporarily taken out of service after two crew members sustained injuries during a rescue boat training drill. According to media reports on the incident, the two crew members were aboard the Queen of Cumberland’s rescue boat when the boat fell into the water while being lowered during a drill near the Swartz Bay terminal on … [Read more...]
Why are Lifeboats Killing Seafarers?
By Nick Yatsenko, Master Mariner During my life at sea, I was always anxious during lifeboat drills. One of my relatives was employed on a MSC container carrier as an Engineer Watchkeeper, and during his routine inspection inside the free-fall lifeboat, the craft suddenly released and fell into the water while a ship was underway. He was lucky enough to survive and … [Read more...]
Norsafe ‘Concerned’ by Spate Lifeboat Drill Accidents
Norway-based Norsafe, a leading manufacturer of marine life-saving equipment for the commercial and offshore market, says it is concerned about the recent spate of lifeboat drill accidents that have resulted in serious injury to crew members and even death in some cases. A report released in April 2016 by the Seafarers International Research Centre found that tight vessel … [Read more...]