Workboat Strikes Tanker and Sinks off Port of Belawan

[Brief] On Tuesday night, a mooring assistance boat capsized and sank in bad weather off the coast of Belawan, North Sumatra. The master was trapped within the vessel and killed; three crewmembers survived, according to the operator, Indonesian state oil company Pertamina. 

Pertamina described the vessel involved in the casualty - the PMB VI - as a "mooring boat." On Tuesday evening, the boat was assisting the Pertamina tanker Enduro at a single-point mooring buoy eight miles off Belawan. At about 1920 hours, the berthing evolution was complete and the PMB VI was moving away from the tanker when it encountered high waves and winds, Pertamina spokesperson Roby Hervino told local media. The boat struck the Enduro's hull, causing it to capsize and sink. 

Three crewmembers of the PMB VI jumped over the side, and they were rescued and brought to a naval hospital in Belawan. The master, identified as Rudi Prayouw, 52, did not survive.

"This was purely due to the weather, the ship was hit by the waves and sank," Hervino told CNN Indonesia.