An officer has fallen to his death while checking the draught of a Turkish-controlled bulker in Russia, the second such accident in a week.
Istanbul’s Ince Shipping Group said second officer Yucel Ulaskin died after plunging into the sea near the Kerch Strait from the 57,000-dwt Ince Ege (built 2010) on 4 February.
Six days earlier, a Turkish first officer fell from a ladder while checking the draught of an Oldendorff Carriers bulker off China.
Ince said rescue workers reached Ulaskin after 45 minutes, but it was too late.
Rescue authorities in Novorossiysk coordinated the search.
The ship was docked at Taman when the officer tried to read the draught, accompanied by a master mariner from the port authority.
But he fell into the sea in the early hours. Colleagues threw a life buoy to him, but with two-metre waves in the port, it was not possible to lower the rescue boat.
One seafarer entered the water to try to retrieve his colleague.
Coastal tugs eventually helped bring Ulaksin to shore, where first aid and a heart massage were performed.
Condolences offered
“We wish God’s mercy on our colleague who lost his life in this incident that left us all sad, and we express our condolences to his family and our community,” Ince said.
“As the investigation on the subject continues, the public will be informed as more detailed information becomes clear.”
On 29 January, first officer Selcuk Elibol, 36, died after plunging 10 metres from a rope ladder on the side of the 206,000-dwt Mathilde Oldendorff (built 2013) in Tianjin.
Turkish media said Covid-19 restrictions contributed to the accident.
The 300-metre vessel had docked to load a cargo. Following that operation, Elibol wanted to check how far the hull had lowered in the water.
Reports said he was refused a permit to disembark at the port due to China’s “zero Covid” policy.
Unable to view the ship from land, Elibol used the ladder, but lost his balance, hitting the concrete wharf below.
