Oil tanker Stena Immaculate crash rescuer’s chilling 12 word verdict on horror inferno
A trawlerman involved in the rescue of crew from a stricken oil tanker said it was “a miracle” that the death toll was not far higher.
The sailor, who didn’t give his name, was one of a number of small boats sent out to save the seamen following a North Sea mayday call just before 10am yesterday. The call came after the Portuguese-flagged Solong vessel – which was carrying toxic sodium cyanide – ploughed into the US-flagged Stena Immaculate. The second ship was carrying 10 million gallons of jet fuel.
The collision left a hole in the Stena, causing jet fuel to spill out into the sea. The fuel caught and both ships were engulfed in a deadly inferno. Miraculously, all of the crew from the Stena were accounted for a short while later, while 36 members of the Solong were rescued, with just one person missing.
The trawlerman said: “We were two miles away when the mayday call came in. When we approached it was very scary. We could see the plumes of smoke. There was a really strong smell of fuel burning. We were told there was a person missing at sea and to begin a search. Crew began abandoning both ships around 30 minutes later. Its a miracle they didn’t all die. The fog was pretty horrendous.”
Investigations started while the tanker was still in flames, headed by the Maritime Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB), with officials expected to start preliminary proceedings today. While many details about the crash have yet to be confirmed there are now several confirmed facts, including that the Solong may have been on autopilot so “unable to deviate”.
Local officials have revealed that 37 crew members across both the Solong and Stena were aboard when the crash took place this morning. Graham Stuart, the MP for Beverly and Holderness, said one of the crew was in hospital. Another 35 mariners across both crews “are safe and accounted for”.
The Solong’s owner, shipping firm Ernst Russ, said a search was underway for a missing crew member, but its remaining 13 were safe following the incident. Matthew Atkinson, divisional commander for HM Coastguard, said: “Thirty-six crew members were taken safely to shore, one person was taken to hospital.
“One crew member of the Solong remains unaccounted for. After an extensive search for the missing crew member, sadly they have not been found and the search has ended. The two vessels remain on fire and coastguard aircraft are monitoring the situation. An assessment of any required counter pollution response is being carried out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.”
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