Crewman died after rope snapped and severed leg

A CREWMAN on board a ferry vessel died following an incident in which a rope he was hauling snapped and severed one of his legs, an accident report has found.

Polish-born Second Officer Patrycjusz Zawadowicz (31) was working on board the Dublin Viking, which sailed from Dublin to the port of Birkenhead in Liverpool on August 7th last year, when he was involved in the incident that would later claim his life.

Mr Zawadowicz's wife was expecting the couple's first child a month after the tragedy occurred.

The vessel was due to leave on the night sailing to Birkenhead with 110 passengers and 44 crew on board.

Mr Zawadowicz inadvertently tightened the stern line winch instead of paying out slack, causing it to break.

The force of the blow broke both his legs and almost severed his left leg. The recoil of the line also dislocated a shore worker's shoulder and elbow.

Members of the ship's health and safety team who went to attend to Mr Zawadowicz struggled to staunch the bleeding, according to the report. "They were shocked by the extent of the second officer's injuries, and quickly realised that even the largest of the dressings they had brought was insufficient for the wounds," the report by the UK's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said.

He was eventually taken to the Mater hospital where his left leg was amputated, but he died six days later.

The MAIB concluded that the stern line had been subject to material fatigue through constant stretching and ultraviolet radiation which had reduced its breaking load almost by half.

It found that, though the management company required mooring ropes to be inspected, the procedures were informal, with no records kept.

The MAIB said the vessel managers at the time, Meridian Marine Management, implemented safety changes to prevent a recurrence, and the winch manufacturer has undertaken to mark all new mooring winches with their maximum as well as nominal rated loads, and also to provide more detailed technical information.

Following the tragedy, the MAIB subsequently issued a safety flier to seamen which recommends a rope management system to provide a formal inspection routine of all mooring lines.

Meridian Marine Management managing director Alastair Evett said: "It was a very regrettable incident. We have looked long and hard at our procedures following it."