The Turkish Chief Officer has pleaded guilty to causing grounding at Garroch Point on the southern coast of the Island of Bute.
The Turkish Chief Officer has pleaded guilty to causing grounding at Garroch Point on the southern coast of the Island of Bute. On Jul 2, 2012, the 89-metres LOA ship Coastal Isle, Antigua and Barbuda Flag, was en route from Belfast to Greenock when it grounded at 5 a.m. There was a crew of ten onboard the ship and fortunately there were no injuries and there was no pollution. The ship was refloated at around 09.30 a.m. the same day and proceeded to Greenock where divers found that the ship had suffered serious damage for about one third of its length and the fore peak tank was ruptured. The Chief Officer, Necati Izmir admitted leaving the bridge at about 03.00 a.m. to go to the toilet and has no recollection of events until after the collision when he was found in his cabin by the second officer who had been sent to look for him. The Captain, Bernd Radel from Germany stated that the Chief Officer had been found asleep in his bed. The ship's captain, Bernd Radel, from Germany claimed Izmir had been found asleep in his bed.Izmir pleaded guilty at the Sheriff Court in Greenock last November to failing to safely navigate the ship. Today he was fined a total of £5,000.Captain Singh Grewal, area operations manager (Survey and Inspection) for the MCA, said afterwards: This was a very serious incident. It could so easily have been a dreadful tragedy but fortunately there were no injuries or pollution."
