TWO workers were killed after their tugboat capsized while assisting a cruise ship, a report has confirmed.
The MV Biter had been helping the Hebridean Princess near Greenock, Inverclyde last February.
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It killed George Taft, 65, of Greenock and Ian Catterson, 73, of Millport, who were unable to escape the stricken vessel.
The Biter upturned in the water for 35 minutes before it sank.
An interim report by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has said the tugboat ‘girted and capsized’ while approaching the James Watt Dock.
The report states there was good visibility, high water and a slack tidal stream at the time of the accident.
The incident sparked a massive response from emergency services who descended on the scene in a desperate attempt to rescue the trapped crew, but despite their best efforts the pair perished.
A recovery operation which necessitated the implementation of a 200 metre exclusion zone and involved a specialist crane ship, Lara 1, later took place to bring the sunken vessel up from the riverbed.
The latest update from the MAIB states that the tug’s towing arrangement, its watertight integrity, the training and experience of the personnel involved and the management of towing operations within the port have all been considered during its investigations.
The MAIB report found there was no damage to the Hebridean Princess which had 45 passengers on board at the time of the incident.
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The MAIB interim report said: “At about 15.27 on 24 February 2023, the twin screw conventional tug Biter girted and capsized while attached to the stern of the passenger vessel Hebridean Princess, which was in the main Clyde Channel making its approach to James Watt Dock, Greenock, Scotland.
“After the accident, the tug’s upturned hull remained afloat for approximately 35 minutes before sinking; its two crew were unable to escape from the vessel and lost their lives.”
It added: “The MAIB’s investigation has considered various aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances surrounding Biter’s capsize and sinking and why its two crew lost their lives, including the tug’s towing arrangements; its watertight integrity; the training and experience of personnel involved; and the management of towing operations within the port.”
Actor Martin Compston, who was born in Greenock, had previously paid tribute to both men following the incident.
He said: “It’s something you see on a daily basis and those people are literally guiding in thousands of tourists a day into Inverclyde and Scotland.
“They are the first point of contact for people coming in.
“What they do is a very skilled and dangerous job and unfortunately this is not the first tugboat tragedy to happen on the Clyde in my lifetime.
“I would just really like to say our thoughts are with the families of Ian Catterson and George Taft. Please send our best to their families.”
A full report will be released by the MAIB in due course.
