ST. JOHN’S — The crew of an ill-fated Newfoundland fishing vessel who spent days adrift in a life raft last year had followed proper safety practices before and after the ship caught fire, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada says.
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In a report released Wednesday, the independent agency says its investigations often find “weak safety cultures” on commercial fishing vessels. However, that was not the case with the captain and six-man crew of the Elite Navigator, which sank about 240 kilometres from shore in the early morning hours of July 18, 2024, the report said.
“The vessel carried more safety equipment than was required by regulation, and the master and crew members were in the practice of talking through emergency scenarios and responses,” the safety board said.
“They also demonstrated concepts from safety training during the occurrence, in particular their use of lifesaving equipment.”
An alarm went off on the boat on July 17, 2024, moments after the captain had radioed to shore to say they were on their way home from a turbot fishing trip. The captain discovered smoke coming from the engine room and another crew member found flames in exhaust “trunking,” which contained piping for the main engine and generator exhaust, the report said.
Because the boat sank, investigators couldn’t determine why a fire broke out. There was no way for the crew to quickly seal off the engine room and deploy a carbon dioxide-based fire suppressant system, but the system was not required by regulation and therefore had no rules governing its use, investigators said.
“If fishing vessels are fitted with (carbon dioxide) systems, it is important that these systems be designed optimally for emergencies,” the report said. “For example, the ventilation to the engine room must be able to be sealed quickly.”
When attempts to battle the flames were unsuccessful, a crew member grabbed five immersion suits — all he could carry — and handed them to his mates. Two other men were trapped by flames at the bow of the boat, the report said.
The captain sent out distress calls using the boat’s VHF radio telephone and VHF digital selective calling device, but the report said the vessel was so far offshore, it was impossible for the signals to reach Marine Communications and Traffic Services authorities directly.
However, the report said a medium-frequency radio telephone, which was available on the boat but wasn’t used, has a longer range and might have transmitted the distress calls successfully.
“It is important that mariners be familiar with the capabilities of different distress-alerting devices so they can use the most appropriate device for the scenario,” the agency said in its report.
The five suited men jumped into the frigid water, where waves reached heights of three metres. Two swam to the crew members stranded on the bow and helped them off the boat and into the life rafts.
They’d been drifting in the raft for more than 50 hours when they saw a helicopter and lights from a nearby boat and set off their last flare, the report said. The helicopter saw the signal, and the Canadian Coast Guard rescued them shortly after.