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Accident inquiry concluded

A fatal accident inquiry held into the loss of the 'Cemfjord' and its crew has concluded. Sheriff Gary Aitken said the reason for continuing her voyage in bad weather were lost with the 'Cemfjord' and her crew. The FAI, in Wick, heard the ship capsized during powerful tidal conditions dubbed the Merry Men of Mey. The sea conditions - with strong winds and 10m-high waves - were described as "extraordinarily violent". Seven Polish nationals and one man from the Philippines died in the sinking. n his determination, Sheriff Aitken wrote: "It is clear from the evidence that the sea and weather conditions in the Pentland Firth around 13:00 hours on 2 January 2015 posed a severe hazard to any vessel seeking to transit the area, particularly from east to west, as the Cemfjord sought to do. The elements caused the sudden catastrophic capsize of the vessel, the suddenness of that event tragically resulting in inevitably fatal consequences for her officers and crew. It is not possible to state why the vessel was attempting to transit the Firth at that time. It is equally clear from the evidence that the dangers of the Pentland Firth are well recognised and well known within the maritime community. The sherrif described Pawel Chruscinski as a "very experienced" master, used both to the 'Cemfjord' and the Pentland Firth, and said he had shown a willingness to alter the voyage of the vessel to take account of tidal conditions before. "Sadly, the reason or reasons for continuing her voyage were lost with the ship and her crew," Sheriff Aitken said. He expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the crew. "The tragic deaths of the Cemfjord's officers and crew are a reminder that even in the 21st century, with all of humanity's technological achievements, there are still considerable risks faced by those who labour on the sea."

Fatal accident inquiry being held into the sinking of the Cemfjord

A fatal accident inquiry (FAI) is being held into the sinking of the 'Cemfjord' in the Pentland Firth in Jan 2015. The alarm was raised by the NorthLink ferry Hrossey, sailing to Aberdeen from the Northern Isles, after the cargo ship's upturned hull was spotted. The inquiry at Wick Sheriff Court is due to hear final submissions on Jan 17, 2023. Sheriff Gary Aitken is expected to issue his determination on the accident later this year. Seven Polish nationals and one Filipino died in the sinking, Master Pawel Chruscinski, 43, Chief officer Jaroslaw Orlow, 54, Chief engineer Roman Tamas, 56, Third engineer Jerome Narvas, 32, Ordinary seaman Henryk Dubanowski, 55, Ordinary seaman Tomasz Kwiatkowski, 31, Able seaman Artur Podrazka, 24, Ordinary seaman and cook Artur Wegorek, 24. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said in 2016 the deaths could have been avoided if the master had instead sought shelter. The MAIB said the master's decision was "probably influenced by actual or perceived commercial pressures", and described the sea conditions as "extraordinarily violent".

Union calls for public inquiriy

National Union representatives have renewed their calls for a public inquiry to be launched into the sinking of the 'Cemfjord' in the Pentland Firth on Jan 2, 2015. Seven years on, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) has confirmed a fatal accident inquiry will be held into the tragedy. Representatives from the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) said an FAI was wholly inadequate to help ensure safety for workers in the cargo sector. General secretary Mick Lynch said: “The Cemfjord was another appalling tragedy which claimed the lives of international crew working on a cargo vessel in UK waters. The seven Russian and one Filipino national who lost their lives in the Pentland Firth were working on a Cypriot flagged vessel under commercial pressure which proved fatal, as the MAIB investigation found in 2016. Five bodies were never recovered. As we have seen in the offshore industry, the problem with the fatal accident inquiry process in Scotland is that families effectively have to replay the trauma and agony of their loss with no prospect of effective justice or binding recommendations that might avoid a repeat of these catastrophic incidents.” The Crown Office declined to confirm the reason for the lengthy wait to start the proceedings, stating: “The COPFS investigation into the deaths of the eight seamen in the Pentland Firth in 2015 is complete and work is ongoing in preparation for the holding of a fatal accident inquiry.”