L’Express newspaper this morning posted a YouTube video by which a surviving member of the tugboat crew, Philippe Clifford, gave his recollections of the sinking.
A Mauritius Port Authority (MPA) tug, the Sir Gaetan, sank yesterday in the midst of helping the persevering with clean-up efforts following the grounding of the capesize bulker Wakashio.
This morning, Mauritius media report that 4 members of its crew of eight have been been efficiently rescued from a lifeboat, however two are confirmed lifeless and two stay lacking, with search and rescue efforts persevering with.
The tug had been towing an empty barge, L’Ami Constant, that was supposed to be on standby. as a precautionary measure, in case there was an extra gas leak from the Wakashio, whose aft half stays aground. In heavy climate, the barge slammed into the Sir Gaetan, leading to hull injury that led to the tug taking over water and sinking.
The proprietor of the barge, the Taylor Smith Group, mentioned in the present day that the barge had not recovered any residue from the Wakashio and, being unpowered, had no gas oil or engine oil aboard. The barge had been discovered afloat and intact.
