MS JONAS

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Investigation launched after salvage

On Oct 14 the wreck of the "Jonas" was raised in two sections in the port of Amsterdam and a technical investigation of the wreck launched. It may, however, take some weeks until results are available. Dutch report with photo: http://www.rtvnh.nl/nieuws/65891/Onderzoek+op+gezonken+schip+afgerond

Dead captain identified

The Dutch police identified the dead captain of the "Jonas" as a Bosniak living in Würzburg, aged 43. The investigations in the accident are expected to take some weeks. The salvage of the ship will only take place after 700 tons of cargo have been removed. The ship broke when the crane operator let fall 20 additional tons of the ore-like fluorspar, a mineral, which is about as heavy as iron ore, from a height of 10 metres into the cargo hold. The "Jonas" sank within one minute. German report with photo: http://www.noz.de/lokales/57789244/innerhalb-einer-minute-war-das-schiff-weg

Body of captain recovered

In the afternoon of Oct 5 divers found the body of the captain of the "Jonas" trapped in the wheelhouse of the sunken wreck which suddenly had broken up during unloading work from the Hongkong flagged bulk carrier "Great Jade", 39005 gt (IMO: 9129938) with the floating crane "Nijlpaard". At that time the "Jonas" had 700 tons of cargo on board. The deckhadn was able to jump onto the floating crane in time. Divers of the Dutch Navy and the fire rescue Amsterdam then were sent down to look for the missing captain. There were specualtions about the crane operator being an apprentice who might have handled too excessive weights. Dutch report with photos: http://www.tugspotters.com/dev/index.php?itemid=41054#more