LEILA JO

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Payment after collision used for better training

A $175,000 payment made after the 'Rose Harmony' and the 24-metre fishing vessel Leila Jo of the Pegasus Fishing collided in LYttelton on Jan 12, 2022, will be put towards better watch keeping training. The accident had left several crew members injured. The helmsman of the 'Leila Jo', Chris Anderson, was fined for leaving the vessel’s bridge unattended, and the Pegasus Fishing also faced charges, but they were later dropped after the company and director Antony Threadwell​ agreed to pay $175,000 to Maritime New Zealand. The payment will fund watch keeping training at the Westport deep sea fishing school and online. Pegasus Fishing also paid $15,000 in reparations to the 'Leila Jo'’s crew, funded additional training for some of its crew and skippers ($24,000), and installed new intercoms ($8,000) and radars on its vessels ($18,300). The company would also provide vessels and crew to take part in rescue helicopter training exercises and would donate $30,000 to the Sumner Coastguard for new equipment. Members of both crews were at fault for the collision, an earlier Transport Accident Investigation Commission report said. The helmsmen of both vessels were aware of the other and were on course for a head-on collision. Both should have altered course to avoid colliding, but neither did. They had low situational awareness of vessels in the area, and the 'Rose Harmony'’s bridge team was distracted by passengers on the bridge. The master was later fined $2600. The commission recommended Pegasus Fishing enhance its training system to upskill deckhands in watch keeping practices. It also recommended Maritime New Zealand review the adequacy of watch keeping training programmes when assessing or auditing operator safety systems for fishing vessels.

Helmsman fined after collision in Lyttleton

Chris Anderson, helmsman of the 'Leila Jo' when she collided with the 'Rose Harmony' on Jan 12, 2022, appeared in the Christchurch District Court on June 9, 2022, for sentencing on a charge of causing unnecessary danger or risk to a ship and the people on board. The accident in Lyttelton Harbour, caused a $175,000 enforcement undertaking and injured crew members. The Pegasus Fishing Ltd, which operates the 'Leila Jo', entered into a $175,000 enforcement undertaking with its director Antony Threadwell for its role and its charges were dropped. Due to his limited income, Anderson could not enter into such an agreement. Judge Kevin Phillips fined him $1500 and ordered him to pay $2000 for emotional harm to those who were injured during. Anderson earlier pleaded guilty to leaving the bridge unattended when there was a risk of impending collision with another vessel and failing to identify the 'Rose Harmony' as a nearby target. Instead of using the intercom, he went to the skipper’s cabin and physically woke him to alert him of a nearby ship and made a trip to the kitchen. By the time he returned to his post and the skipper was on deck, the collision was imminent. The bulk carrier was sailing from Lyttelton to Dunedin, with passengers from the vessel’s charterer on the bridge. The fishing vessel was heading towards Lyttelton after a two-day fishing trip, with Anderson keeping watch while the skipper rested. The individuals operating each vessel were aware of the other and were on course for a head-on collision, a Transport Accident Investigation Commission report earlier found out. Both should have altered course to avoid the collision, but neither did. The skipper was returning to the wheelhouse when he heard the bulk carrier sound its horn and saw the vessel ahead. He suffered bruising and sore ribs. Emotional harm was inflicted on some crew members. One member who lost a relative in a boat accident some years prior had their anxiety resurfaced, and another suffered physical injuries. One crew member was halfway up a ladder and was flung into the side of the ship when the boats collided, causing bruising to his shins. Anderson was the most culpable crew member on either vessel, Maritime New Zealand submitted.

Crew member charged for leaving bridge unattended before collision

A crew member of the 'Leila Jo' had left the bridge unattended when the vessel collided with the bulk carrier 'Rose Harmony' (IMO: 9778985), outside the Lyttelton Heads. He has admitted a charge under the Maritime Transport Act. Christopher Anderson, who had been employed by the fishing company for 12 years, admitted the charge of causing unnecessary danger or risk to the fishing boat and the bulk carrier on Jan 12, 2020. The Christchurch District Court Judge Quentin Hix remanded him for sentencing on March 2, but did not call for any reports. Defence counsel Jeff McCall and Maritime New Zealand have agreed that only a fine is needed. Other parties involved in the collision also were facing charges but have not yet entered pleas and their cases have been remanded to a case review hearing in February. They do not have suppression but Judge Hix instructed that their names should not appear in this report. The 'Leila Jo' was returning to Lyttelton from a two-day long fishing trip when the collision occurred. It was a clear night with minimal wind and calm seas. The bulk carrier was leaving port when it acquired the ship on its radar at a distance of three nautical miles. The bulk carrier made two course alterations as the vessels approached. During that time, the 'Leila Jo' had taken no action to avoid the collision. At 0,07 nautical miles, the bulk carrier sounded its horn to attract the vessel's attention and made the second of the turns, but it was too late to avoid the collision.