Final report from the safety investigation of very serious marine accident - death of two crew members in an overflow pipe of the Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger "MILFORD" on 03.07.2023

On 3.07.2023 Trailing Suction Hopper Dregger  "MILFORD"  made a passage from Burgas, Bulgaria to Constanta, Romania for the purpose of bunkering fuel. At 21:03 LT, two people from the ship's crew went into the cargo tank (hopper), which was filled with ballast (sea water), and were subsequently sucked in the pipe of the overflow device.
A Helmsman (AB) on watch, conducting a safety round, went on deck and heard cries for help. The situation was immediately reported to the Second mate on watch, the ship general alarm was activated and rescue operations were undertaken, which were unsuccessful and the crew members died. The ship was headed to the port of Varna, where the bodies of the deceased have been removed from the pipe of the overflow device.
The Investigation Commission considers that the main cause of the very serious accident was a violation of the safety rules, resulting in the entry of the deceased crewmembers into the hopper tank under ballast. A contributing factor was the drunken state of both. Their death was caused by mechanical asphyxiation by drowning.
As a result of the actions taken by the ship operator specified in item 5, no safety recommendations have been issued by the Investigation Commission as a result of the safety investigation.