AMSA reports 62 commercial vessel incidents for February

There were 62 reported incidents involving domestic commercial vessels in February 2020. Of these, 10 were serious.

In Victoria, a crew member of an unspecified work boat suffered partial amputation of a finger while dropping lines in preparation for departure. Another crew member had prematurely engaged ahead propulsion on the port engine, causing the finger to catch between the line and the vessel bollard. The crew member was taken to hospital by ambulance.

A fishing vessel collided with a berthed private vessel during manoeuvres into port. The collision happened on an outgoing tide and flow of entrance. Both vessels sustained minor damage. No injuries or pollution were reported.

In Western Australia, a vessel’s mooring hawser parted during Tropical Cyclone Damien and grounded with the aft deck underwater. A full damage report will be conducted. Another vessel secured to a cyclone-rated mooring during the cyclone parted its mooring and drifted before running aground.

Damage to a tug is suspected to have occurred when another vessel parted lines and collided with the tug, also during the cyclone. Another vessel parted mooring and ran aground, taking in water and sinking, with part of the vessel visible above water. A damage assessment was carried out. No injuries or pollution were reported for any of the incidents during Cyclone Damien.

In Queensland, a crew member injured their finger while securing a line to the vessel’s towing post. A jellyfish caught in a net touched the abdomen of a crew member while they were stowing gear on a commercial fishing vessel. The crew member suffered severe pain and was transferred to hospital by VMR and ambulance. They were treated and released the following day.

In New South Wales, a moored vessel took on water and sank during a low pressure storm system with extreme wind and rainfall conditions. A barge also flooded and sank during extreme weather and storm conditions. Salvage operations were undertaken for both vessels, and no injuries or pollution were reported.