| A. The
incident
1. At about 1145 on
22 November 2002 the PRC river trade container ship Yu Xin arrived
at Kwun Tong Public Cargo Working Area (KTPCWA) from Yaumatei
anchorage for loading and discharging cargo. Upon arrival at KTPCWA,
it temporarily came alongside a dumb steel lighter (DSL) moored
side by side to other DSLs, waiting for its berth. After a short
while the local agent (the deceased) who had just boarded Yu Xin
at Yaumatei anchorage was found drifting on the sea surface with
his head facing downward in the near vicinity of Yu Xin. He was
rescued by the crew members of Yu Xin and was admitted to the
United Christian Hospital. He was later certified dead at the
hospital.
B. Findings
1. The investigation
has revealed that the deceased was trying to pass between two
DSLs moored side by side. As the distance between the gunwales
of two DSLs were as wide as 2 metres, the deceased probably missed
his step during jumping from the gunwale of one DSL to the gunwale
of the adjacent DSL and fell overboard. He was subsequently drowned.
2. No safe means of
access was provided to facilitate passage of personnel between
the DSLs.
3. The deceased did
not wear a life jacket for protection.
C. Lessons
1. It is important that
the crew members of vessels should provide safe means of access
to their vessels by rigging gangplanks or other appropriate means
of access to facilitate the safe passage of personnel between their
vessels when moored alongside each others.
2. The personnel attending
vessels should wear life jacket for protection.
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