Incident on 31 January 2020 : A rope of the pilot ladder breaks. Pilot could still reach the vessel

From that moment on I have been keeping a tally of the non compliant boarding arrangements I see in front of me on a daily base, and off course I participate in the annual safety campaign, conducted by IMPA each october.

A 35-year-old male sea pilot of the Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) fell into the sea from a crude oil tanker near the N Shed Wharf in the port of Durban. A rope of the pilot ladder is said to have snapped for an undetermined reason when the man disembarked while leaving the crude oil tanker which was leaving the port of Durban.

Before you, you see my third article on pilot boarding arrangements. After my two previous articles ‘1000 ways to secure a pilot ladder’ and ‘1000 ladders around’, I have received a lot of feedback and also questions to get deeper into the matter of combinations and embarkation platforms.

Video upload on 02/01/2020 by TVBS NEWS
We do not put videos of accidents on our website out of voyeurism. We would like to point out that the work of a pilot is always dangerous, especially when embarking and disembarking!
These incidents should be a warning. It can hit anyone out of carelessness.
Dear pilots, please always be mindful and always think of your safety!

A 42-years-old fisherman died after an accident at sea along the Navula passage in Momi Bay yester-day morning. Police spokeswoman said the victim was a passenger of a fishing boat.

Two Carnival cruise ships collided in Cozumel, Mexico on December 20th 2019, causing damage to both ships.

Meet the weather our HM Coastguard Humberside helicopter, RNLI - Humber Lifeboat Station and emergency tugs faced on Saturday when the Thea II grounded. The good news is that she refloated without any pollution reported and has now berthed safely into King George Docks, Hull where she awaits a visit from our MCA surveyors and the Marine Accident Investigation Branch #allsafe

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Article originally published in SWZ|Maritime September 2022

Through the years, the Dutch Pilots have developed a system of selection, initial education and continual professional training. What is the current state of affairs?