Foundering of Argos Georgia with the loss of 13 lives, MAIB report points to hatch failure
The marine accident investigation report refers to the loss of Argos Georgia, 23 July 2024, which occurred approximately 190 nautical miles east of Port Stanley. The Accident Investigation report 19/2026 includes what happened, subsequent actions taken and recommendations.
On July 23, 2024, the fishing vessel Argos Georgia, carrying 27 crew members, sank approximately 190 nautical miles east of Port Stanley. The maritime accident investigation report, MAIB report 19/2026, outlines the series of events leading to the disaster and recommends several actions. The vessel was a longline fishing ship registered in St Helena, sailing from Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands to fishing grounds near South Georgia. Of the 27 people on board, 13 perished.
The investigation revealed that the line hauling hatch on the starboard side of Argos Georgia mysteriously opened, allowing a significant amount of water to enter the vessel. This led to the ship listing to starboard and ultimately foundering due to a loss of stability. The cause was traced back to the manual securing mechanism for the hatch, which the crew likely did not apply, rendering it impossible to close.
This malfunction was attributed to the hatch's drive mechanism having an unidentified design flaw, coupled with vulnerable electrical systems and inaccessible manual controls that facilitated the spread of flooding.
The crew's response to the emergency was disorganized, with delays in declaring distress and abandoning ship, which limited the rescue time. Additionally, poor evacuation control, extreme conditions, and damage to liferafts exacerbated the loss of life due to cold water exposure. Shoreside management deficiencies were also identified, with the company lacking effective systems for managing safety-critical risks and responding to emergencies in severe weather and remote waters.
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency was advised to amend Merchant Shipping Notice 1873 (F) to include design requirements for shell door arrangements, mandating automatic locking mechanisms to secure doors in the closed position. Argos Froyanes Limited was recommended to establish a documented safety management system for its fishing vessels.
Furthermore, the Falkland Islands Government, Directorate of Emergency Services, and Islands Security were advised to enhance the maritime search and rescue communications capability to facilitate direct and reliable contact with vessels in distress within the Falkland Islands search and rescue area of responsibility.
Written by urgent.news from MercoPress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
