The seas were turbulent to say the least but that did not deter the 12 crew members of Jascon 4, one of the offshore oil service tugboats belonging to West African Ventures (WAV), a subsidiary of Sea Trucks Group, from doing the job they had been contracted to do.
The company had been hired by Chevron Nigeria Limited to tow one of its oil vessels, a journey the crew members had embarked on judiciously until they got to a mooring point, 15 nautical miles along Escravos offshore, when the tug chain joining the tugboat and the vessel snapped.
It was gathered that the incident which happened on Sunday, May 26, saw the tugboat capsize from the impact of the detachment which was further inflamed by the turbulent waves, drowning 12 crew members.
It has finally been revealed that in those final moments the crew members looked death in the face, yet strove for life, an attempt that ended up in futility save for one survivor, Harrison Okene, the ship's cook.
According to Okene's earlier testimony, he was in the upturned boat in an air pocket in his cabin before rescue operations finally rescued him and took him to be decompressed of the sea water.
Also sources who spoke under strict conditions of anonymity revealed that when the tug chain snapped, the captain and crew of Jascon 4 did everything possible to save their lives and right the position of their boat but their work was thwarted by the severe weather condition.
Also, because of the extreme tension condition from the tanker mooring line, the capsizing was said to have occurred within seconds, robbing them of absolutely no chance of averting the disaster.
The extreme weather condition accompanied by the turbulent waves was said to have also prevented concerted efforts to start an immediate rescue operation for the embattled crew members.
However, the subsequent massive and extensive search and rescue operations undertaken by divers paid off two days later when Okene was rescued.
The survivor was first taken to the hospital where he was treated and has since rejoined his family in Warri for a much needed rest after such a tortuous ordeal in the ocean.
The source said, "The incident happened at about 5am and the tugboat was one of the three assisting a tanker to its crude oil loading point when this and very most unfortunate tragic accident happened.
"Undoubtedly, the sea was very rough and the massive waves were beating against the vessel's hull and superstructure whilst the wind was very strong which usually is the case during the rainy season. However, this
condition caused the tension rope to snap without warning.
"This immediately unbalanced the vessel causing it to capsize and sink very quickly to the bottom of the sea.
Whilst the investigation of the incident is ongoing, the exact sequence of events is still been compiled."
He however stressed that preliminary investigations had confirmed that during tanker loading operations the heavy weather caused the loading tanker to break free from the single point mooring bouy and subsequently started to drift without control.
He added, "Oil loading operations had earlier been suspended before the tanker broke free but it was still connected to the oil loading lines connected to the bouy.
At this point, it still remains unclear what instructions were dished out to the Jascon 4 by the tanker master.
"All we know now is that in the morning of May 26, the Jascon 4 was pulled over when the mooring wire connecting it to the tanker now under extreme tension went over the side of the Jacson 4 and caused the vessel to capsize."
However, It was gathered that the company has put in measures to claim damages from Chevron Nigeria Limited for the loss of the lives of their members of staff as well as the tugboat.
Preliminary investigations had revealed that the tugboat capsized because the tug chain provided by Chevron to tow the vessel had allegedly snapped during the turbulence and dragged the crew members and their boat under the stormy water.
Meanwhile, it was gathered that WAV under the Chairman and Chief Executive Operation, Jacques Doomas, has begun the process of compensating the bereaved families of the deceased crew members.
According to Doomas, under extreme conditions, the remains of the 12 crew members were recovered and handed over to their respective families, adding that the company is helping them to cope with the grievous loss of their beloved fathers.
He said, "Following this very tragic incident, the entire management and staff of WAV have been involved in extending support and condolence to the families of our lost colleagues.
"The company has shown absolute commitment to the welfare and future sustenance of the families of the deceased and humanitarian assistance accordingly."
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