Tug with drunk crew ran into cargo ship and sank
On Feb 16, 2015, the Polish tug "Kuguar", 115 gt (IMO: 7020932) was in collision with the "Transforza", which just about to leave port short past 10 p.m. enroute from Swinoujscie to Szczecin and sank. The crew of five landed in the water.
The pilot boat "Pilot 63" was on scene in less than three minutes when the Crew scrambled on the bow of their sinking tug. Also the ferry "Wawel" joined and lowered her rescue boat and illuminated the port channel.
At 10.22 p.m. the SAR boat reached the site. The first person was in the water less than a minute. Two more were saved within two minutes. Saving the fourth was a problem, because he was in a very strong current. A fifth person was very hard to get onto the SAR boat because he was already very weak.
It turned found out that all of them except a pilot who did not belong to the crew were drunk.
The tug suddenly had turned to port side when coming into Swinoujscie and was thereby struck by the bow of the cargo ship.
The tug soon after foundered near the waterfront of Swinoujscie at the fairway Świnoujście-Szczecin in a water depth of 12 meters.
Only the mast remained above water. The wreck did not hamper in- and outgoing traffic.
The 37-year old master, a mechanic and two deck hands had an alcohol level from 0.3 to 0.63 per mille.
All were transported to the hospital of Swinoujscie where they were interrogated.
The captain was plead of guiding a vessel under the influence of alcohol.
The "Transforza" which was carrying a cargo of paper was inspected at Szczecin where it docked on Feb 17 at 4.40 a.m.
Weather conditions and visibility in Świnoujście were very good at the time of the accident.
It was expected the tug would be recovered within a week by a sheerleg from Copenhagen.
See also the video from accident site below:
On Feb 16, 2015, the Polish tug "Kuguar", 115 gt (IMO: 7020932) was in collision with the "Transforza", which just about to leave port short past 10 p.m. enroute from Swinoujscie to Szczecin and sank. The crew of five landed in the water.
The pilot boat "Pilot 63" was on scene in less than three minutes when the Crew scrambled on the bow of their sinking tug. Also the ferry "Wawel" joined and lowered her rescue boat and illuminated the port channel.
At 10.22 p.m. the SAR boat reached the site. The first person was in the water less than a minute. Two more were saved within two minutes. Saving the fourth was a problem, because he was in a very strong current. A fifth person was very hard to get onto the SAR boat because he was already very weak.
It turned found out that all of them except a pilot who did not belong to the crew were drunk.
The tug suddenly had turned to port side when coming into Swinoujscie and was thereby struck by the bow of the cargo ship.
The tug soon after foundered near the waterfront of Swinoujscie at the fairway Świnoujście-Szczecin in a water depth of 12 meters.
Only the mast remained above water. The wreck did not hamper in- and outgoing traffic.
The 37-year old master, a mechanic and two deck hands had an alcohol level from 0.3 to 0.63 per mille.
All were transported to the hospital of Swinoujscie where they were interrogated.
The captain was plead of guiding a vessel under the influence of alcohol.
The "Transforza" which was carrying a cargo of paper was inspected at Szczecin where it docked on Feb 17 at 4.40 a.m.
Weather conditions and visibility in Świnoujście were very good at the time of the accident.
It was expected the tug would be recovered within a week by a sheerleg from Copenhagen.
See also the video from accident site below: