Chief engineer cannot explain accident

The chief engineer of a container ship yesterday told a court that he could not explain how the bow thruster, which took the life of a diver, had been switched on when the diver submerged to carry out an underwater hull inspection.

German chief engineer Herman Dieter Raake explained how at the time of the accident, the docked ship was running on one of three generators and that the bow thruster operated on a minimum of two generators. He could not explain how the accident had taken place.

"Somewhere there must have been a mistake.... It is unexplained... I would like to know," Mr Raake said.

He was testifying in his own defence in the compilation of evidence against himself and the ship's captain Peter Karl Bergmann.

They are pleading not guilty to the involuntary homicide of 40-year-old Dutch diver Mr van Beek, who died in an accident involving the bow thruster while inspecting the container ship at the Malta Freeport on July 11 last year.

Mr Raake explained that he had been in the business for 23 years and that he was in charge of the engine room.

In a detailed testimony he explained that by 7 a.m. on July 11, 2004, the ship was running on one of three generators and the rest of the engine room was at a standstill. None of the motors were on except for the cooling system.

About an hour later Mr Raake met Mr Bergmann, an inspector from classification society German Lloyds and the diver to discuss the works and safety procedures of the underwater hull inspection to be carried out.

The diver provided them with a security check-list and Mr Raake was given a cautioning sign, indicating that there was a diver at work, to be attached near the control panel in the engine room.

Mr Raake added that the diver also asked him to ascertain that the main engine was switched off and the electrical power to the corrosion system was turned off.

After he ensured that this was done, Mr Raake accompanied the second engineer and the Lloyds' inspector to carry out several inspections then went to his room for 15 minutes.

By 9 a.m. he was back in the engine room, went on a five-minute inspection of the boiler room, then carried out some paper work in the engine room until about 10 a.m. Some time after that he learnt that the diver had been involved in a fatal accident which involved the bow thruster.

Mr Raake explained that it was not possible to switch on the bow thruster on one generator. He added that the generators could only be switched on from the engine room and, since he had switched to one generator earlier that morning, no others had been turned on.

After the accident it was verified that, at the time, the ship had been running on one generator with a 2,900 kilowatt capacity.

Mr Raake added that the bow thruster could not be operated directly from the engine room because its main controls were on the bridge.

During cross-examination, Superintendent Peter Paul Zammit asked Mr Raake if he was satisfied with the explanation of the incident.

Mr Raake replied: "Somewhere there must have been a mistake.... It is unexplained... I would like to know".

Superintendent Zammit and Inspector Johann Fenech are prosecuting with the assistance of David Saliba, from the Organisational Health and Safety Authority.

Lawyers Stefan Frendo and Stefano Filletti are appearing for the chief engineer and the captain while lawyers Joseph Schembri and Francesco Depasquale are representing the diver's family.