- UK cargo vessel collision off Sweden resulted in two fatalities, leading to legal action.
- The ship’s Master received an 8-month suspended sentence and the operating company was fined £180,000.
- Negligence and lack of oversight were cited as key reasons for the accident.
A UK-registered cargo vessel collided with a split hopper barge in the Bornholmsgattet strait off Sweden on 13 December 2021, killing two sailors. The ship’s Master and its operating company faced prosecution at Southampton Crown Court for failing to uphold safety regulations.
Legal Action After Fatal UK Cargo Ship Collision
The 33-year-old man was sentenced to 8 months in jail, suspended for 12 months, and fined £25,000 in costs.
The court ruled that he failed to act despite knowing that his Second Officer was unfit for duty.
Drunken Negligence Led to Disaster
At the time of the accident, the Second Officer was alone on the bridge, intoxicated, and chatting online on a tablet. Navigation alarms were turned off, and he was unaware that the vessel was closing in on the barge, which capsized upon impact, killing two crew members.
Judge Henry called it: “An accident waiting to happen.”
The Master pleaded guilty to violating safety management regulations under the Merchant Shipping (International Safety Management Code) Regulations 2014.
Operator’s Failure to Enforce Safety Rules
The cargo vessel’s management company was found guilty under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and fined £180,000 with £500,000 in costs. Evidence showed that the company was aware of officers neglecting lookout duties on its ships but failed to take corrective action.
Judge Henry criticized the company’s failures:
“The failure to provide lookouts was the single biggest failure…which led directly to the collision.”
The prosecution was led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) with assistance from Swedish and Danish authorities.
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Source: SAFETY4SEA
