202156 Man overboard in heavy weather

As edited from official Bahamas Maritime Authority report 
published on 19 April 2021

A loaded bulk carrier was under way at sea. A leak had been discovered in the main fire line on the main deck near hold five, and the bosun and an officer were tasked to fix it. The fire pump was stopped and the two men started working on replacing the flange gasket in the line. About an hour later, the OOW observed the wind speed and the height of waves increasing. The Master was informed of the deteriorating weather conditions, and contacted the chief officer and asked him to stop work on deck and secure the loose equipment.

By the time the chief officer told the men to stop work on the fire line the job was already completed. It only remained to collect the tools, which they proceeded to do after a rest break for coffee. As the men collected the tools, a heavy wave swept the deck from the starboard side. Both men were caught by the wave; the OOW held on to the railing, but the bosun was swept overboard by the force of the water. The alarm was raised and the crew began search sweeps of the area. Several hours later, with weather deteriorating further and darkness, the search was called off. The bosun was never found.

Lessons learned

• Accessing the deck during heavy weather, even on a large vessel, can be very dangerous. Heavy winds and waves can result in a catastrophic outcome. 
• No personnel should be allowed to access the deck in heavy weather unless it is necessary for the safety of the crew or ship. If the crew is required to go on deck during deteriorating weather conditions:

i) A thorough risk assessment should be performed and appropriate safeguards implemented to mitigate the risk of heavy weather and waves breaking on to the deck, such as taking the weather on the stern. 
ii) Proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as a harness, safety line and a flotation device should be worn.

• Editor’s note: Unfortunately, there are many reports of persons overboard in the MARS archive. Reports 202139, 202069, 202039, 201970, 201933 to cite a few, in just the last two years. It is this editor’s opinion that on safe ships run by quality companies, accidents involving persons washed overboard should be zero.