Investigation after suffocation of two sailors
October 10, 2008
A report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has called for hazardous cargoes to be properly identified and described in cargo documentation, following the death by suffocation of two sailors near the Dover Strait.
On 18 January 2008, a Latvian registered cargo vessel, the Sava Lake, was heading towards the Dover Strait when it was discovered that two of the vessel’s able seamen were missing.
After a search of the vessel, the bodies of the two missing crew were found at the bottom of an access ladder in a storage area on the boat. The men had suffocated as a result of a lack of oxygen in the storage area.
The deaths were reported to the UK authorities, and the Sava Lake was diverted to Dover, where an investigation into the causes and circumstances of the accident was commenced by the MAIB in cooperation with the Maritime Administration of Latvia.
The boat had loaded parcels of “steel turnings” in Copenhagen and Horsens, Denmark, before sailing for Leixoes, Portugal on 15 January.
The parcels were ferrous metal turnings that are liable to self-heat, and can therefore reduce the levels of oxygen within the cargo hold.
Subsequently, it was noted that documentation held on board the Sava Lake specifically prohibited the boat from carrying this type of cargo.
Following the accident, the MAIB has produced a flyer to the maritime industry in order to highlight the safety lessons that have been identified during the investigation.
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