The entire crew of the Stena Immaculate has endured a week difficult to characterize with just a few words. An allision brought their week to a rending start and found them working together to save lives, contain damage, and salvage a positive outcome from a desperate and dangerous situation. They succeeded in all respects.
The crew of the Immaculate includes members of American Maritime Officers and the Seafarers International Union, as well as an officer represented by the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association working under a pass-through agreement. We are very grateful they were all together again as their interviews for the mandatory MAIB investigation of the incident drew to a close yesterday, and they enjoyed a meal as a crew, safe and whole. We are thankful they can all expect to be home soon.
The officers and crew of the Immaculate, under the leadership of the Captain, performed remarkably well. Their quick reactions laying down foam and fighting the raging flames enabled two officers working forward to return back through thick smoke to the house to join the rest of the crew and continue their fire and emergency duties together prior to abandoning ship.
Everyone onboard worked as a team, and through their combined efforts, avoided loss of life and made it into the freefall lifeboat and to safety as fire began to surround them.
Their heroic actions are to be commended, as is the skillful application of their knowledge and training in dire circumstances. The professionalism of this crew is admirable, to say the least.
There are many to recognize and to thank for supporting the Stena Immaculate crew as they made their way to shore after the successful launch of the lifeboat, and throughout the week that followed. We will have more to say in a future report. For now, I commend Crowley for their rapid response and thorough support of the crew.
At the same time, we mourn the loss of a mariner from the Solong, missing and presumed dead after a search and rescue operation was completed. The other members of the Solong crew were reported safe, although the Captain of that ship has been charged with gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the allision.
Crowley continues to work closely with UK agencies to support response operations. The Stena Immaculate remains stable and anchored.
Third-party salvage experts with SMIT Salvage were joined by the Immaculate’s First Engineer and Chief Mate in boarding the tanker for assessment. The initial objectives are to continue securing the vessel so inspectors and salvage workers can safely work, assess the degree of damage, and continue actions to mitigate any environmental impacts. A salvage and tow plan will then be finalized working with the appropriate authorities.
Willie Barrere
AMO National President