Crewman 'crushed by crane' on Carisbrooke Shipping vessel

Maciej Reszkiewicz was attempting to cross the vessel when he was crushed by the crane

A cargo ship's second officer died after being accidentally crushed by a gantry crane, an accident investigation report has found.

Pole Maciej Reszkiewicz died on his 59th birthday on board the Karina C, operated by Isle of Wight-based Carisbrooke Shipping, in May 2019.

The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) found breaches in safe working practices and alcohol policy.

The company said it would "address the shortcomings" highlighted.

The MAIB report said Mr Reszkiewicz was fatally injured as the ship was preparing to sail from Seville in Spain on 24 May 2019.

He climbed into a small gap between hatch covers to cross the vessel, but was not seen by the crane operator.

He was crushed when the crane moved and fell on to the deck when it was reversed.

'Excess alcohol consumption'

The accident occurred on the second officer's birthday, and a post-mortem toxicology report showed that he had a "significant quantity" of alcohol in his bloodstream.

The report said he was initially thought to have suffered a heart attack so it was not reported as an on-board accident until four months later.

Andrew Moll, chief inspector of marine accidents, said: "Ship's decks are dangerous places and this accident could have been avoided if personnel operating Karina C's deck that day had adhered to established safe working practices.

"The accident is a further case where excess alcohol consumption almost certainly contributed to the death of a seafarer."

Cowes-based Carisbrooke Shipping operates 32 cargo vessels.

A spokesperson for the company said it had since "implemented tighter procedures surrounding deck protocols and the operation of gantry cranes".

"Safe practice of all hazardous equipment is routinely and rigorously drilled, and so when a tragedy does occur the loss of a crew member is acutely and widely felt," he added.