By Canadian Press

Safety board releases report on B.C. tug sinking that claimed two lives

Mar 8, 2023 | 1:05 AM

VANCOUVER — A newly released report into a deadly tug boat sinking off British Columbia’s north coast contains recommendations in hopes of preventing future tragedies.

Transportation Safety Board chair Kathy Fox and Clifford Harvey, the director of marine investigations, held a news conference to reveal the findings on the sinking of the tug Ingenika in February 2021.

The tug was towing a barge and had a captain and two crew members aboard when it took on water and sank in Gardner Canal, located on the B.C. central coast south of Kitimat.

A search and rescue operation found one survivor on land, while the bodies of 58-year-old captain Troy Pearson and 25-year-old crew member Charley Cragg were recovered. A third crew member was rescued.

The deaths of two men have promoted four recommendations for the safety of those on similar smaller vessels.

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The recommendations include that tugs under 15 gross tonnes undergo regular inspections, that owners and operators assess risks adequately and that the Pacific Pilotage Authority ensure that only qualified crew members are allowed to pilot a vessel.

Fox says the accident is an example of the tragic outcomes that can happen when all people involved don’t work together to address the potential safety risks.

The barge was found not far from the site of the sinking, although the tug, which had 3,500 litres of diesel fuel in its tanks, has never been recovered.

Charges under the Workers Compensation Act were laid last month against the tug company, Wainwright Marine Services, and one of its senior officials, alleging violations of occupational health and safety regulations.

More information on the report can be found here. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2023.

The Canadian Press