POR DEUS AJUDADO - Very Serious Maritime casualty
Vessel: POR DEUS AJUDADO
GAMA reference: 2013-094
Data da ocorrência acidental: 03-06-2013
Circulated on: 23-04-2014
Published on: 27-05-2014
Casualty Event: Flooding (massive/progressive)
Summary
On 3 July 2013, POR DEUS AJUDADO was hauling fishing nets off Aveiro when the vessel began to heel rapidly to starboard. Seawater had entered the unattended engine room through two corrosion holes in the engine-cooling pipework, reducing freeboard and stability. The flooding alarm did not provide an effective warning. All six crew members entered the water without lifejackets or other flotation equipment. Five were rescued with assistance from another fishing vessel, while one crew member remained missing and was subsequently presumed dead. The vessel was later refloated and towed to Aveiro.
Safety recommendations
SR 094-2013.1: Assess implementing a written procedure to improve engine-room monitoring across the vessel fleet. No response status is recorded in the report.
SR 094-2013.2: Assess repairing or installing engine-room flooding alarms across the fleet, ensuring an effective audible and visual warning. No response status is recorded in the report.
SR 094-2013.3: Assess providing fleet-wide training on engine-room flooding, lifejacket use and the safe distribution of cargo and persons aboard fishing vessels. No response status is recorded in the report.
SR 094-2013.4: Assess informing operators of similar engine-cooling systems of the need to replace aluminium-brass, yellow-brass, red-brass or cupronickel pipework with more corrosion-resistant pipework, such as 316 stainless steel. No response status is recorded in the report.
SR 094-2013.5: Assess providing operators, owners, builders and shipyards with preventive-maintenance and refitting manuals for open or combined engine-cooling systems, including appropriate welding procedures. No response status is recorded in the report.
Lessons learned
Engine rooms should be inspected regularly, particularly when seawater-cooling systems contain materials susceptible to corrosion. Flooding alarms must provide an effective audible and visual warning. Cooling pipework should be selected, inspected and maintained for the operating environment, and previous corrosion failures should trigger a systematic review of the complete installation. Cargo and personnel should be distributed to preserve stability, and lifejackets should be worn whenever abandonment may become necessary.