Man, 59, arrested after cargo ship crashed into US tanker in North Sea as missing worker feared dead
MIRACLE survivors of the North Sea tanker smash told yesterday of the heart-stopping moment disaster struck - and confessed: "It was either get into your lifejacket or get incinerated."
The 23 crew on board the 50,000-ton Stena Immaculate - a US military vessel - abandoned ship with seconds to spare after it was rammed by the Portuguese-flagged cargo ship Solong.
Millions of gallons of aviation fuel poured into the sea and ignited, creating a massive fireball which suddenly engulfed both vessels.
The entire crew of the Stena Immaculate scrambled for their lifeboat as a series of explosions tore through the ship before incredibly escaping the flames with only their hair singed.
A further 13 onboard the Solong - which was still ablaze yesterday and is expected to sink in the coming hours - were taken ashore unhurt. A crewmate is missing at sea, presumed dead.
An American survivor from the Stena Immaculate said: "It was a bad start to the day, but it ended gloriously. Why? All 23 of us got off the ship without anybody being injured.
"Did I have time to think? Yes, of course I did, because if I hadn't had time to think, we wouldn't have survived.
"We drill, we train and we prepare for the unpreparable.
"We do emergency prep non-stop.
"Drills all the time. And you saw clearly that that worked on our side, regardless of outside uncontrollable forces.
"We're pleased to be alive.
"There's a lot of questions to be answered and that'll happen in a timely fashion."
The crewman, who did not want to be named, said the Solong was on autopilot when the crash occurred shortly before 10am on Monday - but added: "Somebody has to be watching the autopilot and no one was.
"It would be like if you were sitting in a car lot on Sunday morning, reading a newspaper or playing with your phone and a car enters on the other side.
"But then the driver falls asleep or he's doing something else, and the car just goes careening into the other one.
"Who's at fault?
"It's clear they are the ones at fault. That's all I can say."
Another US crewman from the Stena Immaculate told how the Solong "came from out of the blue" whilst it anchored 10 miles off the coast of Hull, East Yorks.
There were roars to brace for impact as the Solong careered into its port-side at a speed of 16knots (18mph).
They tried to put out the fire but quickly realised the ship was a goner and clambered into a lifeboat as flames roared uncontrollably around them.
The men were recovering from their horrifying ordeal ashore in Grimsby, Lincs., and are due to give statements to investigators.
Fires aboard both vessels - which collided off the East Yorkshire coast - have continued to burn overnight.
Humberside Police have now confirmed they have opened a criminal investigation into the incident.
Cops said they had arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with yesterday's collision.
A search for a missing crew member from the cargo ship was called off last night, while Coastguard aircraft monitor the situation.
HM Coastguard said efforts to find the person from the Solong container ship had ended after "an extensive search", following the ship's collision with the jet-fuel carrying Stena Immaculate tanker on Monday morning.
The maritime company managing the Stena Immaculate, Crowley, said the vessel was struck by the Solong while anchored off the coast of Hull, causing "multiple explosions" on board and jet fuel it was carrying to be released.
Crowley said it was unclear how much fuel may have been released, but that Stena Immaculate was carrying 220,000 barrels of jet fuel in 16 segregated cargo tanks when it was struck.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is also launching a separate preliminary assessment to establish the causes of the crash involving the Portuguese vessel Solong and US tanker Stena Immaculate on Monday.
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Superintendent Craig Nicholson said: "Humberside Police have taken primacy for the investigation of any potential criminal offences which arise from the collision between the two vessels.
"Extensive work has already been carried out and we are working closely with our partners to understand what happened, and to provide support to all of those affected.
"Following inquiries undertaken by my team, we have arrested a 59-year-old man on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter in connection with the collision, this follows the conclusion of search operations by HM Coastguard for the missing crew member of the Solong.
"Our thoughts are with the family of the missing crew member and I have appointed family liaison officers to make contact and provide support to the family.
"The man arrested remains in custody at this time whilst inquiries are under way and we continue speaking with all those involved to establish the full circumstances of the incident."
The tanker was operating as part of the US government's Tanker Security Programme, a group of commercial vessels that can be contracted to carry fuel for the military when needed.
It had been anchored while it waited for a berth to become available at the Port of Killingholme, on the River Humber, Crowley said.
It was initially reported that the Solong was carrying sodium cyanide, which can produce harmful gas when combined with water.
Owners of the boat, however, have since confirmed this not to be the case.
It comes as a trawlerman involved in the rescue told The Sun: “It’s a miracle they didn’t all die. The fog was pretty horrendous."
He said: "We were two miles away when the mayday call came in. When we approached it was very scary.
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"We could see the plumes of smoke. There was a really strong smell of fuel burning.
"We were told there was a person missing at sea and to begin a search. Crew began abandoning both ships around 30 minutes later."
