Ship and tanker that crashed in North Sea 'did not have dedicated lookouts'

The and tanker that crashed in the last month did not have "dedicated lookouts" and visibility was "patchy", a report has revealed.

The Solong cargo vessel into the Stena Immaculate off the East coast on March 10, leaving one man presumed dead. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) noted in a preliminary report that neither vessel had a “dedicated lookout on the ”. The Stena Immaculate was anchored five miles north of navigational aid the Humber light float. The report also revealed the conditions at sea that day, adding: “The in the area north of the Humber light float was reported to be patchy and varying between 0.25 nautical miles (nm) and 2.0nm."

The shock report added: “At (7am), Solong’s master returned to the bridge and took over the watch as the lone watchkeeper.” Huge fires ignited when the ship and tanker collided at 9:47am.

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36 crew from both vessels were thankfully saved in a desperate rescue operation but one man, a Filipino national Mark Pernia, is missing and feared dead. He was reportedly believed to have been in the forward area of the Solong ship when they collided.

The report described how crews from both vessels took "immediate action" after the collision. It said: “Attempts by Stena Immaculate’s crew to fight the fire, and for Solong’s crew to locate the missing able seaman, were hampered by the severity of the fire.

“Both Stena Immaculate and Solong’s crew abandoned to lifeboats and were subsequently recovered by the efforts of local boats and emergency responders, coordinated by His Majesty’s Coastguard.” The US tanker Stena Immaculate had been approaching the Humber Estuary on March 9 when it was directed to anchor in an area with eight other vessels.

Portuguese registered Solong was sailing from Grangemouth, to Rottterdam, the Netherlands. The preliminary report added the Solong “altered course” at around 1.30am, in a south-east direction, and maintained this course until the crash except for a “slight deviation” at 3.45am.

The Solong was travelling at a speed of around 16 knots when it hit the Stena Immaculate, the MAIB said. Investigators said they will also analyse “the navigation and watchkeeping practices on board both vessels” and “manning and fatigue management”.

The MAIB said it will also look at the use of the offshore area as an anchorage for vessels waiting to enter the Humber Estuary. This horrifying crash sparked due to the toxic materials carried onboard these vessels.

Greenpeace warned it was extremely concerned about marine wildlife after the jet fuels and a highly toxic chemical leaked into the sea. At the time, the group said: "We must hope an environmental disaster can be averted."