On July 30, an engineer reportedly died onboard a vessel after the Captain of the ship refused to hear his plea for help.
What happened?
The Engineer, a 49-year-old Myanmar national Muang Pu, fell ill about 13 days into voyage on an iron ore vessel destined for Port Hedland in Western Australia.
Health deteriorated:
The condition of the engineer deteriorated quickly and he complained of severe back and stomach ache to the point where it was swollen. He stopped eating or drinking and started to vomit profusely. He had difficulty in moving and developed breathing troubles.
Cries for help ignored:
The Captain of the vessel ‘MV Equator Prosper’ Viresh Singh allegedly refused to provide medical assistance to the engineer despite repeated requests from other crew members. A fellowship engineer Ha Oo told the inquest that as well as telling him not to be a child and childish on separate occasions Mr Singh also told Mr Pu “If I call (sic) helicopter, helicopter come, medic come, small problem become big problem.”
Engineer dies:
Despite repeated pleas for help and subsequent refusal by the Captain, resulted in the death of Mr.Po. He reportedly died of bronchopneumonia when the vessel was 30 nautical miles north of Port Hedland. His callousness has come under heavy criticism. He relented to call the helicopter only after the engineer fell unresponsive but was too late.
Crew angry:
The ship’s crew were reportedly angry and upset with the Captain’s behaviour and 19 out of a possible 20 co-signed a letter they gave to Port Hedland police condemning the ship’s captain for ignoring their repeated requests to get medical help and said they did not feel safe working for him.
Death could have been prevented:
Dr David Mountain, an emergency physician, told: “Mr Pu would have had a very good opportunity to survive if he had received treatment earlier”.
Coroner Sarah Linton said, “The death was preventable only if Mr Singh had acted much earlier”.
However she also said, “There were limitations in the amount of air services and staff available for medical evacuations from ships in the Pilbara and recommended a WA government review”.
Did you subscribe for our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: 9News
