Caught in a bight

(Edited from official Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (ATSB) 2014-005

A vessel that had been assisted by a tug was preparing to let go the tow. In preparation for letting go, seaman 1 ran the messenger line over the drum end of the mooring winch, while seaman 2 operated the winch to pull about two metres of tow line inboard. The second mate wrapped the rope stopper around the main tow line while the messenger line was taken off the drum end and the eye of the tow line taken off the mooring bitts. The messenger line was then put around the forward post of the mooring bitts to assist with the controlled lowering of the tow line.

On board the tug, a crewmember was standing on deck near the winch ready to guide the tow line onto the winch drum.

Another crewmember was at the remate winch controls inside at the port bridge console. The crewmember controlling the winch waited until he saw the tow line being lowered before he started heaving in. As the tow line was retrieved, seaman 2's right leg somehow became entangled in the messenger line. He was then dragged about four metres across the deck and into the rollers of the fairlead. When his legs entered the fairlead the messenger line carne under tension and it severed the seaman's right foot.

Both crew on the tug had seen the messenger line go tight and the crewmember at the winch control stopped heaving. The assisted vessel's second mate ran to the ship's rail and signalled to slacken the line. Medical assistance from ashore was quickly requested and the victim was transported to hospital for treatment.