by Mick the Ram

Following the dramatic collision on 10 March between two ships in the North Sea off the east coast of England, the captain of one of the vessels has been arrested.

The incident occurred close to the Humber Estuary when the cargo ship Solong crashed into the stationary Stena Immaculate tanker.

The Master of the Solong has been taken into custody on the suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter, after it was confirmed one of his crew was unaccounted for and presumed drowned.

It was later revealed that the individual being questioned was a 59-year-old Russian national and although the investigating team said foul play could not yet be ruled out, they added that at this point there was no indication of any Russian state involvement.

This was after initial reports that all mariners on board both ships had been brought ashore, but this was later amended to be incorrect with one person missing, although a thorough search of the area by the coastguard failed to locate the man.

Questions to be answered

An investigation is likely to take some time looking into the causes of the crash, with the main focus on how two modern ships, fitted with advanced radar technology, could collide in seemingly calm weather conditions.

The oil tanker would not have been expected to anchor where it was as that is said to be an uncommon place for ships to moor. There is a possibility that it could have been radar silent at the time of the collision for security reasons.

Another theory is that the Solong’s autopilot function failed and were nobody present on the bridge then that might be an explanation.

Assisting with investigation

Humberside police have launched a parallel investigation into the man’s death, hence the arrest of the ship’s skipper, with concerns as to whether the Solong was seaworthy.

Hamburg-based maritime firm Ernst Russ, the owners of the cargo ship, confirmed that the captain had been detained by Humberside police, and added: “The master and our entire team are actively assisting with the investigations. Out of respect for the investigation and all involved we will not comment further at this time.”

The senior investigating officer, DCS Craig Nicholson said: “Extensive work has already been carried out, and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected. The man arrested remains in custody at this time whilst inquiries are under way, and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident.”

Foul play not ruled out

The Solong was sailing from Grangemouth in Scotland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands at a speed of about 16 knots, equivalent to 18mph, when, without changing course, it collided with the tanker which was carrying the equivalent to 220,000 barrels of jet fuel for the US military and both vessels caught fire after several explosions, resulting in a huge fireball.

A White House official reportedly told a US news outlet that they were unable to rule out foul play, amplifying speculation that the Stena Immaculate may have been targeted deliberately as it was carrying cargo for the US military.

Should have seen each other

David McFarlane, the director of Marine Risk and Safety Consultants, said several warning systems, including radar and a ship’s horn, would have been onboard aimed at preventing such collisions. “They would have sighted and identified each other over radar, called automatic identification system (AIS) from as far as 24 miles away and been able to call up via very high frequency radio, and ask them what they are doing,” he explained.

Continuing, he went onto add that all vessels should have someone on lookout at all times, but anxiety would not set in until an approaching ship was about four miles away, depending on its speed.

Environment under threat

It was initially feared that the Solong was carrying containers with the highly toxic chemical sodium cyanide inside, but Ernst Russ clarified that those which had held the substance, were in fact empty.

Though it drifted at least 2 miles south of the collision, the cargo ship is now anchored with support from a tugboat, as is the Stena Immaculate, but it remains likely some of the fuel onboard may have been spilled into the sea, prompting concerns for possible environmental damage.

Dr Leslie Mabon, a senior lecturer in environmental systems at the Open University, said: “It’s close to nesting season, so puffins, gannets, kittiwakes among others could be flying around the area and could be exposed to the oil.

“Similarly, there are dolphins and seals around and it is also a rich fishing environment, with the Grimsby fishing port nearby, so there could be economic consequences if fishing has to be stopped or scaled back.”