Owners of tanker involved in North Sea collision praise crew for their 'bravery'
Stena Immaculate tanker and cargo ship Solong collided off the cost of East Yorkshire on March 10.
The explosive collision left a sailor presumed dead in the North Sea, with the alarm first raised on the Humber Estuary.
HM Coastguard said 36 people were rescued from both vessels involved in the collision and taken safely to shore in Grimsby.
The Marine Accidental Investigation Branch is trying to establish the cause of the collision.
Crowley, the maritime operations company based in Florida, who manage the oil tanker, posted a photo on social media site Instagram showing 19 crew members.
'Our deepest gratitude and respect goes out to our 23 mariners from the Stena Immaculate for their exceptional bravery and quick action during the recent allision to their ship in the North Sea,' the company said in a statement.
'Their decisive efforts and teamwork to execute critical fire and emergency duties helped to save lives, protect the integrity of the vessel and minimize the impact on the environment.
'Against disastrous circumstances, the crew had the operational focus to ensure fire monitors were active in order to provide boundary cooling water, which resulted in limited impact to just one of the 16 cargo holds. Their dedication to safety — not only for themselves but for others — sets a powerful example for the entire industry.'
Crowley said at least one cargo tank carrying A1-jet fuel was ruptured in the collision.
However, it is said the spill has had a 'limited' impact, with the maritime company saying it remained unclear how much Jet A1 fuel was released when it was hit by the Solong, but an initial review showed it had evaporated due to exposure to fires on both vessels.
Owners of the Solong have also admitted tiny plastic pellets, held in containers on board, were released and have since been found on beaches in Norfolk and Lincolnshire.
A clean-up operation is now underway as the plastic pellets pose a danger to wildlife.
It has also been revealed that the container ship failed steering-related safety checks last July, and 10 other deficiencies were also highlighted during an inspection.
The captain of the Solong, 59-year-old Russian man Vladimir Motin, appeared at Hull Magistrates' Court on Saturday charged with gross negligence manslaughter. No plea was entered.
He was remanded in custody to appear before the Central Criminal Court in London on April 14.
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