South Korea Seeks Arrest of Master as Probe into Ferry Grounding Widens
South Korea’s Coast Guard is moving aggressively with its investigation into the grounding last week of the ferry Queen Jenuvia II with 246 passengers and 21 crewmembers aboard. The Mokpo Coast Guard has sought an arrest warrant for the master of the vessel after it arrested the first officer who was on watch, as well as the helmsman, each on charges of gross negligence causing harm to the passengers, and the investigation is widening.
The Coast Guard reports it interviewed seven crewmembers from the vessel as witnesses after its interrogation of the first officer and the helmsman. According to the media reports, the Coast Guard found that the captain had never been on the bridge of the vessel, supervising navigation in the tight, busy channel leading into the port at Mokpo. They said the unnamed individual had not been on the bridge in the more than 1,000 times the ferry made the approach to port, which is being considered a dereliction of duty and the responsibility for the safe navigation of the vessel. Media reports are saying the captain was resting in his cabin.
The 26,000 gross ton ferry was traveling at a normal speed of approximately 20 knots as it was nearing Mokpo after the four-hour trip from the popular tourist destination Jeju Island. The first officer at first blamed a failure of the steering mechanism, but later admitted he was distracted, reading the news on his cellphone. The ship overshot a critical turn and hit an uninhabited island. The latest count from the Coast Guard says 78 people, including a pregnant woman, received medical treatment at hospitals after the incident.
Further investigations also confirmed that the helmsman was also distracted. He says he was looking at the gyrocompass. The vessel, however, had been left on its autopilot, although it was required to be on manual navigation while in the confirmed and busy shipping lane near the port.
The Coast Guard says it is also reviewing a broad range of information, including the regular inspection checklists, operational management regulations, the safety management system, and crew training practices. However, it said the investigation of the safety management officer has been delayed while the individual met with legal counsel.
The Coast Guard is also investigating the Mokpo Regional Vessel Traffic Control Center, responsible for supervising all vessel traffic around the port. The media is reporting that the Coast Guard wants to know why the controller failed to detect that the vessel was not on its normal course. The VTS monitors for vessel speed and course.
Media reports are saying the controller was focusing on another large vessel that was also out of the normal lane. Busy with that vessel, the controller failed to notice the Queen Jenuvia II was out of its lane. The media is reporting that the VTS center had turned off alarms, saying small fishing boats, less than 20 meters in length, frequently triggered the alarms even though they were not required to follow specific traffic lanes.
The shipping company that operates the ferry, SeaWorld Express Ferry, posted an apology online. The company suspended service till the end of the year and reports it is also conducting a full safety review.