Greenock tug tragedy report 'raises major safety questions'

Professor Andrew Watterson says the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report points out there have now been eight investigations into tug capsizes, with the loss of nine lives, since 1998 - all of which occurred while the vessels were conducting 'ship assist towage'.

Greenock man George Taft, 65, and his crewmate, 73-year-old Ian Catterson of Millport, drowned when Clyde Marine Services' tug, Biter, capsized in seconds while assisting the Hebridean Princess cruise ship near the East India Harbour on February 24, 2023.

READ MORE: Accident report identifies 14 safety issues that led to Greenock tug tragedy

The MAIB report, published on Wednesday,  found that communications between the cruise ship’s master and a pilot appointed by Clydeport, and between the pilot and Mr Taft, the tug’s master, were “incomplete”, which meant there was no shared understanding of the plan for escorting the Hebridean Princess into the nearby James Watt Dock.

Investigators also said the Hebridean Princess, which was under the control of Clydeport’s pilot, was travelling faster than recommended, which placed a “significantly greater” load on the tug’s tow lines, and additionally found that a watertight hatch on the tug had been left open, limiting the crew’s chances of survival.

Professor Watterson, from the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Stirling, said: "[The report] flags up root causes and rightly highlights failures in risk assessments, safety management, training and communications systems operated by the various employers concerned. 

Ian Catterson, left, and George Taft died when the Biter capsized and sank. (Image: Supplied) "It therefore begs the question of why no actions, along the lines of those now recommended by MAIB, were taken before by employers in the 2010s and 2020s, and why regulators apparently did not effectively inspect, monitor and require improvements earlier in risk assessments, communications and training."

A separate investigation into the tragedy is still being carried out by Police Scotland and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, with the possibility of a fatal accident inquiry being held in the future.

Professor Watterson also pointed to a previous MAIB report into another tug tragedy on the Clyde, the capsizing and sinking of the Flying Phantom in thick fog near Clydebank in December 2007, in which three men - the tug's captain Stephen Humphreys, engineer Robert Cameron, and deckhand Eric Blackley - lost their lives.

The Biter sank with the loss of two lives little more than half an hour after capsizing off the East India Harbour in February 2023.

The Flying Phantom tragedy is one of the eight previous incidents highlighted in the MAIB's report on the Biter sinking.

The others happened at Milford Haven in south Wales in 1998, Peterhead in 2009, on the Thames in 2011, off Southampton in 2015, and off the coats of Madagascar, where a local tug was towing a UK-registered vessel, in 2016.

Professor Watterson said the Flying Phantom investigation found that there had been "a lack of real follow-up" on safety recommendations made following previous fatal tug sinkings.

A spokesperson for Clyde Marine Services said: “We acknowledge the release of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) report.

“We will take time to review and consider it.

READ MORE: Greenock tug tragedy accident report published by MAIB

“Our thoughts remain with the families affected and Clyde Marine Services will continue to cooperate fully with ongoing official investigations.”

Jim McSporran, port director at Clydeport, said: “We note the findings from the MAIB report and will consider its recommendations in detail.

“Above all, our deepest sympathy goes to the families, friends and colleagues of the two men who died in this tragic incident.

“The health, safety and the welfare of our employees and the third parties we work with is, and always will be, our number one priority.”

A spokesperson for Hebridean Island Cruises, owners of the Hebridean Princess, added: “Our thoughts and deepest sympathies remain with the families and friends of George Taft and Ian Catterson.

The Biter tragedy report was published by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch on Wednesday. (Image: MAIB)

“We welcome the report from the MAIB and express our appreciation for their diligent efforts.

“We acknowledge the information contained within the report and support the recommendations made to best ensure that an accident of this nature is never repeated.

“The safety and wellbeing of everyone aboard our vessels and all involved in our maritime operations is always our top priority.”