Widow calls for probe into tug tragedy

Oct 1 2008 by Andrew Newport, Paisley Daily Express

THE heartbroken widow of a crewman who died when a tug boat capsized in the River Clyde has called for a public inquiry to be held.

Linda Cameron, whose husband Robert was one of three people who lost their lives in The Flying Phantom disaster, spoke out yesterday after a report by accident investigators revealed the vessel capsized because a towing winch did not release fast enough.

And she threatened to take legal action against the port authority and the tug’s owners.

Houston man Robert – who was known to his friends as Captain Bob – was working onboard The Flying Phantom just six days before Christmas last year when it hit a sandbank while towing a freighter up the Clyde, near Erskine, in freezing fog.

The vessel overturned and sank and the bodies of 65-year-old Robert and two crewmates – Stephen Humphreys, 33, from Greenock, and Eric Blackley, 57, from Gourock – were recovered in the days after the tragedy.

Now a report by The Marine Accident Investigation Branch into the sinking has criticised Clydeport, saying the port authority’s risk assessment was “poor”.

It has called on Clydeport to review its safety procedures.

And Mrs Cameron has said she will urge the procurator fiscal to consider corporate manslaughter charges if it is found there had been a criminal breach of the existing rules.

She told how she was in a state of “disbelief” after learning that The Flying Phantom had previously ran aground in fog in 2000.

Mrs Cameron added: “Recommendations made at that time haven’t been enforced. Some action has been taken but not enough to ensure that similar accidents don’t happen again and other families don’t have to suffer the devastation which we’ve suffered.”

The report also highlighted a string of failings in procedures to ensure the tug, owned by the Danish firm Svitzer, operated safely in foggy weather.

It found that the routine the tug crew followed before towing or entering fog was “ineffective”, with the watertight engine room door left open.

The tragedy has left Mrs Cameron and her daughters Lorna and Helen devastated.

Yesterday, she sat alongside Helen Humphreys – who also lost her husband in the disaster – as they called for a public inquiry to be held.

The families’ lawyer, Frank McGuire, of Thomson’s Solicitors, said a public inquiry is needed to explain why recommendations from other incidents had not been put in place.

He added: “The report says that understanding the likelihood of fog occurring and having a reliable system in place that detects fog as early as possible are important aspects of managing the safety of a commercial port.

“In 2004, Southampton Port installed a fog detection system. You have to ask the question why is it that a fog detection system was not installed on the Clyde?”

Mr McGuire said a fog detection system could have been installed for about £30,000.

He said Clydeport’s assertion that this was “not practicable” was down to financial considerations.

It is understood that the bereaved families are considering proceeding with civil action for financial losses suffered as a result of the accident.

Mr McGuire said it would be up to the Lord Advocate to decide if there had been any “criminal behaviour” in relation to alleged health and safety breaches.

The Scottish secretary of the Unite trade union, John Quigley, has also called for a public inquiry and for the Lord Advocate to bring charges of culpable homicide against Clydeport.

He said: “Unite will not let this issue slip and we shall be urging action on this report from ministers at the Scottish and UK Parliaments.”

Bosses at Clydeport have said they are studying the The Marine Accident Investigation Branch report carefully.