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The Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board has made public its thorough investigation report concerning the tragic accident that occurred onboard the 'Selandia Swan' on July 23, 2015. The report highlights a crucial incident where the vessel's 3rd officer was conducting an inspection of lifebuoys attached to the bridge wings while on solo watch. During the assessment of the starboard lifebuoy, he unfortunately lost his balance and fell overboard. Crew members quickly noticed that the 3rd officer was missing and took immediate action by initiating man overboard protocols. Despite the response efforts from multiple nearby vessels, they were unable to locate him. It was only after a rescue helicopter, dispatched by the Danish Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC), arrived that he was found and pulled from the water. Attempts at resuscitation began promptly following his recovery but were ultimately unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead at Aalborg University Hospital at 1619 local time. The investigation concluded that the accident was exacerbated by a lack of clear guidelines related to the proper protocols for lifebuoy inspections. The specific inspection method compromised safety as it required the officer to climb the guard rail, significantly raising the risk of a fall into the water. It appears that the officer did not utilize a harness or fall arrester as the potential danger was not fully understood while he remained positioned behind the guard rail. In response to this tragic event, the operator of the vessel has taken several preventive measures to enhance safety. These include revising work descriptions in the maintenance system to offer more explicit instructions for inspecting visual components during monthly and weekly checks. Furthermore, the company has installed two railing extensions on the bridge wings to increase the height of the guardrails, thereby improving onboard safety. Additionally, there will be a reduction in the variety of lifebuoy types to streamline inspection processes. For those interested in the complete investigation report, it can be accessed here: http://www.safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/DMAIB-SELANDIA-SWAN-Fall-overboard-2016_01.pdf.

A devastating maritime accident occurred on July 23, 2015, when a 37-year-old Filipino officer tragically fell overboard from the tanker 'Selandia Swan' near Vorupør at 10:30 a.m. The officer was attempting to replace a light bulb on the port side bridge wing when he slipped, plunging approximately 16 meters into the frigid Atlantic waters. Despite an extensive rescue operation that involved multiple vessels, the officer remained in the water for over two hours. He drifted an estimated 14 nautical miles from the point of the fall before being located. Medical personnel rushed him to Aalborg Hospital; however, despite all efforts, he could not be revived. Following the recovery of the mate, the 'Selandia Swan' continued its journey to Skagen, where it anchored at 8 p.m. for further investigation by the Maritime Accident Investigation Board. The crew members were also interviewed as part of the inquiry into the tragic event.