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Sent in by an Alert Reader:

57 hurt in NYC ferry crash
USA TODAY11:35a.m. EST January 9, 2013

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/09/ferry-crash-new-york/1820041/

The SCMP is full of witness accounts - people on Lamma II, Lamma IV and the rescue divers - these days...
Should I clip some more of these into this forum?

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Today's SCMP stories:
No life jackets found on Lamma ferry victims, rescue divers recall

Three bodies retrieved by police divers in the Lamma ferry rescue operation were not wearing life jackets, a commission of inquiry heard on Thursday morning.

Three police divers said the visibility was as low as one metre under the water. They testified behind a screen to protect their anonymity because they are involved in anti-terrorism operations.

“There were numerous pieces of debris, life vests and unattached ceiling and wall panels. The visibility was very low,” Diver 1 said.

They found the bodies of Chan Man-ying, 24, Cheng Yin-lan, 40, and Pieta Leong Ka-kit, 23, on the main deck of the Hongkong Electric launch Lamma IV, which sank after colliding with the ferry Sea Smooth on the way to the National Day fireworks display on October 1 last year. None wore life jackets.

Diver 1 recalled his discovery of Chan: “Her jacket was caught by the ceiling. I had to cut it apart.”

The hearing continues.<HR>
Bodies were found clinging to one another: Lamma rescue divers

Some of those who died were found holding hands or were huddled together, divers say as they recount their rescue operations

Victims of the National Day ferry collision were found clinging to one another in the cabin of the sunken Lamma IV amid swirling currents, the inquiry into the disaster has heard.

Divers told yesterday of finding and retrieving bodies from the stricken vessel after its collision with the Sea Smooth ferry on October 1 last year.

Senior Station Officer Chan Man-fai, a Fire Services diver, said he found four bodies without life jackets behind debris on the upper deck of the Lamma IV. Three were holding on tightly to one another.

"I believed I had discovered a family of three members as the child was grasped by a female adult [and] the female was grasped by another male," Chan said. "I thought they had gathered together because they could not find a way out of the vessel."

The bodies were later identified with different surnames.

Diver Yuen Ka-wai said he was pushed into the cabin by a powerful current and retrieved a body without a lifejacket. "When the water rushed in, it was like a washing machine," he said.

The waves were even stronger at the surface and water rushed in from the windows of the ferry, said Yuen. "I had to use a lot of strength to stabilise myself and get the victim out through the window," he said.

The commission in the past two days has identified the positions of 24 bodies among the 39 who died on the excursion to see the National Day fireworks.

Eighteen were found on the upper deck of the Lamma IV, some trapped by debris and benches. Three were found on the main deck, two were floating on the water surface, and a boy was found on the sea bed.

Diver Lam Yim-lung said he found the bodies of Lam Wai-yee, 10, Yumi Au Hiu-lam, 20, and Lam Ka-man, 30, hand-in-hand in the wheelhouse on the vessel's upper deck.

The commission heard that the body of Wendy Ie Hwie was found floating when the wreckage was stabilised by a crane. Her son Nicholas Chi-ho Belshaw, seven, was found on the sea bed.

His father Michael Belshaw, who was at the hearing, closed his eyes as he heard about his family.

Almost 19 hours after the crash, more bodies were found as the wreckage was raised.

Chiu Siu-king, 53, was found trapped in the canopy of the ferry's upper deck with both her feet tangled in the ropes of two lifebuoys.

About two hours later, Thomas Koo Man-cheung, 25, who suffered multiple injuries, was found on the main deck.

The commission approved three police divers to testify behind a screen today to protect their identities as they were involved in sensitive operations including counter-terrorism.<HR>
Yesterday, Jan 9, 2013:

'I was in a dire situation': Firefighter recalls dramatic rescue inside sinking Lamma ferry

Thirty bodies were pulled from vessel in hours after collision


Thirty bodies were recovered by police and firefighters in the wreckage of the Hongkong Electric launch Lamma IV on October 1 and 2 last year.

The commission of inquiry into the Lamma ferry disaster heard this yesterday as rescuers told of their desperate search at depths of more than 10 metres.

Bodies of 17 women, seven men and three boys were found by firemen and police found two women and a man after searching under water for more than 18 hours, the inquiry heard.

The Lamma IV collided with the ferry Sea Smooth as it carried passengers to view the National Day firework display, killing 39.

Firefighter Tam Kam-lun recalled how he almost sank under the weight of three unconscious people after he and colleagues decided to break the window of the sinking vessel to release trapped passengers, some of them without flotation aids. "Some of them had fear, anxiety and helplessness written all over their faces," he said.

He then retrieved two unconscious women and an unconscious man from the wreckage.

"As my life jacket could not support the weight of four adults at the same time, my body and head were already under water. I was in a dire situation," Tam said.

He had no choice but to hold the three bodies with one hand and discard his equipment with the other hand, treading water quickly to keep himself afloat.

Fire Services Department diver Kwong Chi-keung recalled how he retrieved the body of Edwin Hui Ka-wai about 13 metres under water.

"On the second row of seats from the stern, I touched a foot with a sock blocked by debris," he said. Kwong pulled the body out and began to ascend, but was trapped by obstacles. He asked colleagues on the sea surface to pull him up with the communication line, but it became detached from his face mask.

"I checked my cylinder content. There was 150 bars and the depth gauge showed 7.8 metres. I kept calm, as I knew I still had plenty of time," he said.

He refused help from a standby diver after he reconnected the line and was able to return to the surface by himself.

Commission Chairman Mr Justice Michael Lunn said the autopsy report showed that Hui died from injuries caused by severe crushing to his upper body with no sign of drowning.

Li Wing-mui, whose floating body was retrieved by divisional officer Chan Wai-ho, died from drowning, the commission heard.

Lunn also said the commission had collected evidence showing that Marine Department's notices on safety regulation during firework displays had been served on Hongkong Electric's marine section over a number of years, but had never been passed to the employee relations section, which organised boat trips to view fireworks.

The hearing continues today.<HR>
Jan 8, 2013:

Lamma II sailor recounts part in rescue

A sailor from the Hongkong Electric-owned Lamma II told the commission of inquiry into the Lamma Ferry collision on Tuesday how he helped rescue passengers from the sinking Lamma IV after the deadly sea collision off Lamma Island last year.

Lee Ah-ngau told the commission of inquiry that when the Hongkong Electric launch Lamma IV and the Sea Smooth crashed on October 1, he opened the doors on both sides of Lamma II to allow passengers to throw lifebuoys to people in the sea.

“I then ran to the upper deck to get an emergency ladder to save people,” he said.

Lee said he could not recall how many people he saved, but was told later by marine police that there were 17 injured people on board.

The commission is looking into the cause of the tragedy, evaluating maritime safety and will make recommendations for improvement.<HR>
Lamma coxswain says he wasn't told to give safety demonstration

Rescue boat coxswain tells hearing he was not told to run through emergency procedures with passengers or ensure children wore life jackets


The coxswain of a rescue boat in the Lamma ferry disaster was not advised to make sure all passengers on board were aware of the location of all life-saving devices, and the proper way to don a life jacket, the commission of inquiry into the collision was told yesterday.

Cheng Muk-hee, 54, also told the commission that he was instructed on September 30 to pilot the Lamma II on October 1 but was not advised to ensure all children on board wore a life jacket at all times. Cheng's vessel went to the aid of victims from the collision between the ferry Sea Smooth and Lamma IV, which sank killing 39 people.

The commission also heard that Cheng did not have a passenger list, which the Marine Department had suggested all coxswains should keep.

But he said: "I asked the chief engineer to check whether there were 66 passengers."

All the safety measures were on a notice issued by the Marine Department in late August, before the National Day fireworks display to which the Hongkong Electric-owned Lamma II and Lamma IV were taking passengers. Cheng's vessel had left the Hongkong Electric power plant pier on Lamma Island at 8.16pm, one minute after the Lamma IV.

The inquiry resumed yesterday after a holiday break from December 21 and will continue on weekdays until February 8.

Senior marine officer Ivan Shuen Chi-kuen said Hongkong Electric had been on the Marine Department's list to receive the safety notices since 2006.

The notice about last year's National Day fireworks display listed the closed and restricted areas in Victoria Harbour off Wan Chai as well as safety measures suggested for masters and owners of all vessels, Shuen said.

"For the sake of safety, coxswains should try their best" to persuade passengers to take the measures, he said.

But Cheng said he saw none of the notices on the Lamma II or in the crew room on the power plant pier. Cheng said he was about 1,000 metres from the Lamma II when he got a call for help on an internal radio system and saw the stricken vessel's lights go out. After one or two minutes, it started sinking.

Hongkong Electric employee Leung Kwok-wai, who was taking care of passengers on the Lamma II, said he was not told to check the number of lifejackets or their quality before the vessel left the pier. "If passengers moved around, I would help the crew advise them to go back to their seats," Leung said. The commission is looking into the cause of the tragedy, evaluating maritime safety and will make recommendations for improvement.

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!DSC09921.jpg [ 66.29 KiB | Viewed 6466 times ]
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!DSC09738.jpg [ 166.7 KiB | Viewed 6466 times ]

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(C) SCMP, Friday, 25 January, 2013, by Simpson Cheung:

Sea Smooth crashed halfway into Lamma IV: forensic scientist


"Smears of deep blue paint were left near the centreline of the sunken vessel, says government forensic scientist in report[/b]

The Sea Smooth public ferry plunged as deep as halfway into private motor launch Lamma IV, crushing rows of chairs on the vessel's main deck cabin in the collision, a commission of inquiry into the October 1 tragedy heard yesterday.

The process of the collision and damage to both vessels were detailed yesterday as the commission went through a government laboratory report.

Government forensic scientist Dr Cheng Yuk-ki, who had examined both vessels, reported that the Sea Smooth's port bow came into contact with the Lamma IV's port quarter at an angle of 30 degrees.

"The foredeck of Sea Smooth had breached the side panel of the main deck cabin of Lamma IV, and went in and reached the centreline of the main deck cabin, crushing the seats and air-conditioning system … and causing the collapse of a large piece of ceiling frame," Cheng said.

Smears of deep blue paint were found at the ceiling frame near the Lamma IV's centreline, indicating that the Sea Smooth had gone almost 3.5 metres into the vessel when they collided. The distance was half the breadth of the Lamma IV.

At almost the same time, the Sea Smooth's port bow pierced the Lamma IV's port quarter, ripping a slanted 4.4-metre-long gash in its engine room hull and leaving a piece of its own fibreboard planking behind.

The Sea Smooth's broken keel - the hardest part of a ship - also pierced a large jagged hole in the tank room of the Lamma IV before the impact between the two vessel's cabins stopped the Sea Smooth from moving further forward into the Lamma IV, thus disengaging the two ferries.

Counsel for the commission, Paul Shieh Wing-tai SC, said "what started off as two holes from the outside [of the Lamma IV] resulted in the flooding of three compartments on the inside" because of a missing watertight door between the last two compartments.

A piece of triangular side panel from the Sea Smooth was also left on the Lamma IV's foredeck.

The report noted that the upper deck of the Lamma IV was bare with just one seat left secured after the crash. Most of the other seats were dislodged as passengers could have stood on or hung onto them as the ferry sank vertically almost immediately after the accident.

At least 10 seats had been remounted at least once, as one or two additional screw holes were found in the positions where the seats were secured, the report said. Some mounting holes appeared to be deformed.

The port bow of the Sea Smooth was badly damaged, leaving a breach measuring 2.4 metres high, 4.3 metres long and 1.5 metres wide. This had caused the flooding of the first two of its seven port hull compartments.

The commission also heard that a Marine Department officer doubled the Lamma IV's minimum manning level from two to four in 2008, without documenting the reason or informing his superior. Chairman Mr Justice Michael Lunn described this as "dysfunctional".

The hearing continues today."


From the same day, 3 days ago (Thu, Jan 24, 4pm) 3 HKKF ferries - Sea Sprint, Sea Spirit, Sea Smart - lined up at the Central Ferry Pier 6, Cheung Chau.
Is First Ferry (serving Cheung Chau) providing parking spaces for HKKF?


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File comment: Photo (C) SCMP, Jan 24:
Only one chair remained secured to the upper deck cabin [of Lamma IV].

SCMP-HEC-ferry-seats.jpg
SCMP-HEC-ferry-seats.jpg [ 22.61 KiB | Viewed 6427 times ]
File comment: Cheung Chau ferry pier with 3 HKKF ferries.
!DSC09969.jpg
!DSC09969.jpg [ 113.53 KiB | Viewed 6427 times ]

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Have been following this on a daily basis. Was looking forward to finding out about the Sea Smooth.

The plot thickens..... read on.....http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_deta ... 30226&fc=2


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It seems quite probable that some fault is likely to be separately attributable to both HKKF and the crew and the lawyer should have considered this at the start rather than halfway through and then try to ditch the crew. If I was the crew I would be worried about this conflict of interest because the lawyer knows which way his bread is buttered.


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The coxswain says it was safe to sail without radar, obviously it wasn't.


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Recent, daily SCMP stories on the Ferry Disaster enquiry. The titles speak for themselves and you get a feel to where the enquiry is heading.

Even without an online subscription you can read the subtitles and intro of the stories. Clipping the stories here each day might be a bit much and they'll be available on other websites for free later on:

Ballast made Lamma IV 'sink like Titanic'
7 Mar 2013

Naval expert suggests separating roles to avoid inspection errors
6 Mar 2013

Sea Smooth’s late turn made in panic: expert
6 Mar 2013

Lamma IV's cut light wires pose questions at inquiry
5 Mar 2013

Life jacket law ignored for 4 years
2 Mar 2013

I turned right, not left, says Sea Smooth coxswain
1 Mar 2013

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"I turned right not left!" Yeah, right! n I never inhaled either!


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(C) SCMP, Apr 11, 2013:

Lamma ferry disaster captains charged with 39 counts of manslaughter

Skippers of the Lamma IV and the Sea Smooth will appear in court today over their role in Hong Kong's deadliest sea tragedy in decades, which left 39 dead


Thursday, 11 April, 2013 [Updated: 14:45]

The captains of the two vessels that collided off Lamma Island on October 1 were each charged with 39 counts of manslaughter on Thursday over the National Day tragedy that claimed the lives of 39 people.

Lai Sai-ming, captain of the Sea Smooth. Photo: David WongChow Chi-wai, skipper of the Lamma IV.Chow Chi-wai, 56, captain of Hongkong Electric's Lamma IV, and Lai Sai-ming, 54, captain of catamaran Sea Smooth, which is operated by Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry, will appear in Eastern Magistrates’ Court this afternoon.

No charges were laid against the five crew members - two from the Lamma IV and three from the Sea Smooth - who were arrested together with Chow and Lai the day after the incident. The five will answer bail in mid-April.

On October 1, the Lamma IV was carrying 124 passengers - Hongkong Electric staff members and their family and friends - and three crew members to visit the power station on Lamma Island.

On the trip, which was organised by the company, the ferry was also to take its passengers to watch the National Day fireworks display in Victoria Harbour.

But it collided with the Sea Smooth at about 8.20pm near Lamma Island.

The passengers onboard the Lamma IV fell into the sea, or were trapped, as the vessel sank rapidly after the accident.

Meanwhile, the Sea Smooth, which had set off from Central, continued its journey to Yung Shue Wan pier after the collision.

Police, firefighters and government flying services sent to the scene mounted search and rescue operations and saved about 80 people.

Some 38 people were found dead the next day, with most of the bodies retrieved from the sea.

A 10-year-old girl, Tsui Hoi-ying, died in hospital from multiple organ failure after four days of fighting for her life.

The girl's death brought the number of fatalities to 39, including eight children. The collision was the city's deadliest sea tragedy in 40 years.

On October 2, Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying appointed a commission of inquiry to look into the cause of the collision and to make recommendations to avoid a recurrence.

The commission, chaired by High Court judge Mr Justice Michael Lunn, spent 50 days listening to evidence from 110 witnesses, including the owners of both vessels, survivors, rescuers, ship builders and expert witnesses.

Chow and Lai, as well as the five arrested crew members, testified in the hearing.

The commission, which finished hearing the testimonies last month, will submit its findings and recommendations to the chief executive later this month.

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Revealed: Shocking catalogue of failures that led to deaths of 39 in Lamma ferry crash

Marine Department was lax on provision of lifejackets and did not notice doomed Lamma IV was lacking a watertight door, says disaster report


113 witnesses gave evidence to the commission over 50 days, led by Justice Mr Michael Lunn

(C) SCMP - Wed, 1 May, 2013, 10:36am - by Ada Lee ada.lee@scmp.com

The Marine Department failed to uphold the law, document its decisions or conduct proper inspections, yesterday's report into the Lamma ferry tragedy says.

The Commission of Inquiry said the department never fully implemented a 2008 requirement that the number of lifejackets carried should be equivalent to a vessel's capacity, and that the number of children's lifejackets should be equivalent to 5 per cent of capacity.

Its report also said the department's inspectors missed several chances to spot that the doomed Lamma IV did not have the watertight bulkhead door stipulated in its design.

A marine official told the inquiry there was a "policy" within the department not to apply the law to vessels already operating, but that the reasons for the decision were never documented.

"It appears that the 'policy' was disseminated by word of mouth only among Marine Department officers," the report said. "Without such records … discerning what those matters and reasons were is left to the frailties of human memory."

The lack of records jeopardised transparency and exposed officers to the danger of corruption, it said.

If problems arose, officers were "left hoping that some senior officer would come forward on their behalf and stand by the undocumented 'policy'".

The commission heard the Lamma IV could have remained afloat after its collision with the Sea Smooth had it been fitted with a watertight door as shown in its design drawings

The commission found the Marine Department inspector assumed the door would be watertight and did not check with shipbuilder Cheoy Lee. Other officers failed to notice the absence of the watertight door in later inspections of the finished vessel.

One of the reasons the accident claimed so many lives, the commission found, was that seating on the upper deck became detached from the floor.

It said the Marine Department was partly responsible because it had not gathered adequate information to determine whether seats were properly secured. An officer ignored the problem, despite noticing that the seating was secured only with self-tapping screws.

The department was also criticised for failing to document the reasons why it ordered the boat's owner, Hongkong Electric, to increase the number of crew on the Lamma IV from two to four in 2008.

The company did not increase the size of the crew and instead regarded an individual passenger on any particular voyage as the fourth crew member.

The report described the company's failure to add an extra crew member as "regrettable".

Hongkong Electric managing director Wan Chi-tin insisted the company complied with the regulations and had nine staff on board the boat as well as the three crew on the night of the tragedy.

The commission recommended that the government appoint an independent, qualified professional to take charge of future marine accident inquiries.

It also recommended that all ferries and launches permitted to carry more than 12 passengers be equipped with a very high frequency radio.

Vessels permitted to carry more than 100 passengers should also be fitted with an automatic identification system and collision-avoidance radar, it said.

Hongkong and Kowloon Ferry, the operator of Sea Smooth, said it was studying the report and would comply with policies.<HR>
Findings And Recommendations

Why were so many lives lost?

Seats on the upper deck broke off, causing both them and passengers to be thrown down

Passengers had difficulty retrieving and donning lifejackets

There were no child lifejackets


The Marine Department's failings:

It did not document what factors it considered or give its reasons for not strictly following rules on lifejackets during inspections

It did not give in writing its reasons for requiring Hongkong Electric to increase the number of crew members on Lamma IV to four


Recommendations

Checks on the watertight subdivisions on all vessels permitted to carry more than 100 passengers which were certified before 2007

Coxswains and seamen required to keep lookout undergo a basic medical check and eyesight test once every five years

Crew should demonstrate to passengers how to don a lifejacket

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They seem to concentrate on "life jackets".

Most of the dead were trapped in the cabin.

If there has been a full provision of lie jackets, would any more people have survived? I doubt it. After a massive collision, the cabin turned 90 degrees, in the dark, with furniture on top of you, water coming in, who can screw around with life jackets? What good does wearing one have if you're stuck in the cabin underwater? Just makes it harder to swim out.


There were boats alongside almost immediately. It wasn't freezing, there was no storm. If people could get out, they had a pretty good chance.

The problem was the collision, not the life jackets.

Now we're all going to get tedious lectures on how to wear life jackets, our fares will go up to pay for more crewmembers to nurse us, but the real issue is what the captains do -- and that in turn is based on the policies and pressures from the owners. If they're told (not in so many words, of course) to put schedules ahead of all other considerations, they'll take chances to keep on time.


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New marine safety measures set for next year

Ferries to get lookouts after dark, alarmed watertight doors and easy-to-find lifejackets


(C) SCMP, Tuesday, 23 July, 2013, 3:15am - by Jolie Ho

Five new measures to improve marine safety after the Lamma Island tragedy will take effect next year.

The requirements will cover lookouts, crew numbers, lifejackets and watertight doors.

Director of Marine Francis Liu Hon-por told legislators yesterday that the five measures, which did not require any amendments to existing laws, would be set out in a code of practice to be released in September.

Three would be implemented within six months of that and the others within a year.

Under the new requirements, all vessels that can carry more than 100 passengers will need a lookout on the bridge in addition to the coxswain during hours of darkness and reduced visibility. High-speed boats will need a lookout on the bridge at all times.

This and a requirement to make sure there are enough crew numbers to allow for emergencies - including collisions, running aground and abandoning ship - will take effect around September next year, a year after the code of practice is published.

Under other measures, all passenger vessels that can carry more than 100 people should have a muster list spelling out the duties of each crew member in the event of an emergency.

There should also be improved signs and directives about location and use of lifejackets, and watertight doors should be fitted with alarms to alert the wheelhouse when they are open. These improvements are due to take effect about March next year.

About a dozen members of the Marine Joint Conference, an alliance of 21 groups from the maritime industry, staged a protest before the meeting of the Legislative Council panel on economic development where Liu spelled out the new rules.

"The industry is lacking manpower now. What will be the qualification, training and job duties of these lookouts?" asked organiser Kenny Wong Yiu-kan.

Transport-sector lawmaker Frankie Yick Chi-ming said the industry "simply cannot recruit the manpower".

Liu countered: "Training for lookouts is very basic, in fact general seamen can handle the job."

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