On December 17, 2017, between 10:30 and 11:00 am local time (UTC – 4) in the Caribbean Sea, while the Croatian-flagged cargo ship Punta was sailing in open waters, an unfortunate incident occurred in which a crew member (a Croatian national) fell down the internal staircase inside the ship’s superstructure. As a result of the fall, he lost consciousness and sustained severe injuries. The ship altered course toward the nearest suitable port, and on December 18, 2017, when it came within helicopter range, the injured crew member was urgently medically evacuated to a hospital in Willemstad, on the island of Curaçao, part of the Netherlands Antilles. On December 22, 2017, due to the consequences of the fall, the Croatian seafarer passed away in the hospital.
Based on the findings of the investigation so far, as well as the collected data and on-site inspection (including relevant information about the incident, the ship, ports of call, crew, the injured crew member, work schedules, rest hours, other ship records and documents, event chronology, external and internal conditions on the vessel, photographs, statements from the ship’s captain, key witnesses, and medical documentation of the injured person), the analysis of the incident concluded that it was not caused by or related to the ship’s design or operation. The incident occurred on a Sunday, outside of the injured crew member’s regular working hours, and at the time of the incident, he was wearing civilian clothes near his cabin, not performing any official duties. The presence of strong alcoholic beverages, illegally obtained from outside the ship, was noted, along with favourable external and internal conditions for safe movement on board. Therefore, this event does not qualify as a marine accident or incident, and it has been decided that the safety investigation will be closed.
Regardless of the above, during the course of the safety investigation, the Agency reached conclusions that were also acknowledged by the company. The company has independently decided to introduce and implement corrective measures across this and other vessels in its fleet, specifically regarding the control of alcohol intake, distribution, and consumption for all persons on board. This measure aims to prevent similar unfortunate incidents or Marine accidents in the future and to enhance overall navigational safety.