The "Swanland" suffered a catastrophic structural failure before sinking, an investigation has found. The ship was in the middle of a gale force storm and 4-m-waves off the Gwynedd coast in November 2011.
Giant waves snapped the hull of the ship, which was carrying quarry stone loaded at Raynes Jetty near Llanddulas. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch interim report said the ship sank in around 15 minutes. The report said two questions remained: "The causes of Swanland's catastrophic structural failure, and why only two of the vessel's eight crew survived".
Two of the eight Russian crew managed to clamber aboard a life raft and were winched to safety by a rescue helicopter team from RAF Valley. RAF winchman Richard Taylor, who was part of a four-man team which included the Duke of Cambridge, won a bravery award for his efforts during the operation. The body of a third crew member was later recovered from the water but the bodies of the five remaining crew have never been found.
The interim report says it expects to complete its investigation by the end of the year and publish a final accident report in April next year.
Bron: Vesseltracker.com
17 juli 2011 in de Koningin Wilhelminahaven in Vlaardingen,
waarop de "kont" toch een redelijk, goed bewogen leven op staat
SWANLAND
Imo 7607431, roepletter 8PLY, bouwjaar 1977, gt 1978
L x b x h 81.86 x 13.92 x 5.38
Vlag Cook islands
Eigenaar Swanland Shipping Ltd, Grimsby United Kingdom
Manager Torbulk Ltd, Grimsby United Kingdom
Shipyard Scheepswerf Friesland bv, Lemmer (360)
Ex. Carebeka IX / Elsborg / Artemis / Elsborg
© Riemer van Bolhuis
