Intoxication, inadequate footwear cited as probable causes in fatal man overboard mishap in Thyboron Port, Denmark

The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board (DMAIB) has published a report on its investigation into a man overboard incident that left one person dead at Thyboron Port on May 29, 2022.

At 17:37 local time on the said date, the DMAIB was informed by the Danish Maritime Authority about an occupational accident wherein a crewmember from the UK-registered twin-rig trawler Hendrika Jacoba went missing during the vessel’s port stay at Thyboron.

Recordings from the port’s CCTV cameras showed that a person had fallen into the water while attempting to board the trawler earlier at 03:15. Later the same day at 21:10, the DMAIB received information that the missing crewmember had been recovered from the water near the ship and was pronounced dead.

Due to the accident’s serious consequences, the DMAIB immediately launched an investigation to clarify the circumstances of the crewmember’s fall between the quay and the vessel. Two investigators were sent to the scene of the accident on May 30 to carry out an onboard investigation.

In its report, the DMAIB said the deckhand fell in the water as he was standing on a tyre fender secured to the quay wall and was about to step through a door opening in the trawler’s port side. Though the deckhand held on to a mooring rope, when he extended one foot towards the ship, he lost his balance and fell into the water and drowned.

When the deckhand attempted to board the trawler, no persons were on board the vessel and there were no persons in the vicinity. Nobody noticed that he was missing until next morning, five hours after he fell into the water, and it was not until 10 hours later that his companions realised he had fallen into the water.

The DMAIB concluded that the deckhand fell between the quay and the vessel during an attempt to board the ship after a night of socialising with the crews of other fishing vessels that were also berthed at Thyboron at the time.

Due to changes in sea level, the ship had shifted slightly. This caused a gap to develop between a fender tyre, which was used as a means of access during boarding, and the vessel, making it necessary for the deckhand to bridge a distance of approximately 100 cm.

While he had succeeded with this during the day, his ability to bridge the gap was most likely impaired by a combination of alcohol intoxication, head trauma, and the type of footwear at the time of the accident. As the ability to board the ship fell short, the deckhand fell into the water and had no possibility of saving himself.