New images show moment of North Sea crash as investigation reveals neither ship had a 'dedicated lookout'

3 April 2025, 18:39

Newly released images show the moment two ships collided in the North Sea last month.

It comes after an investigation into the incident found that neither ship employed a “dedicated lookout” and were battling “patchy” conditions at the time of the crash.

Portuguese vessel Solong collided with US oil tanker Stena Immaculate off the east coast of Yorkshire last month.

In a preliminary report released on Thursday by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch, it was revealed visibility when the Solong hit the Stena Immaculate oil tanker on March 10th was “patchy.”

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Solong crashed into the Stena Immaculate at around 16 knots (18.4mph), causing a massive blaze as both ships burst into flames

"The visibility in the area north of the Humber light float was reported to be patchy and varying between 0.25 nautical miles (nm) and 2.0nm," today’s report said.

"Neither Solong nor Stena Immaculate had a dedicated lookout on the bridge.

"At (7am), Solong's master returned to the bridge and took over the watch as the lone watchkeeper."

Stena Immaculate was approaching the Humber Estuary when it was directed to anchor in an area with eight other vessels.

It was on its way from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, the Netherlands at the time.

At around 1:30pm, the Solong “altered course” to a heading of 150 degrees, which is a south-east direction, the report said.

It maintained this course, apart from a “slight deviation at 3:45am, until the crash.

Both crews took “immediate action” when the vessels collided, the report said.

It went on: “Attempts by Stena Immaculate’s crew to fight the fire, and for Solong’s crew to locate the missing able seaman, were hampered by the severity of the fire.

“Both Stena Immaculate and Solong’s crew abandoned to lifeboats and were subsequently recovered by the efforts of local boats and emergency responders, co-ordinated by His Majesty’s Coastguard.”

A total of 36 people were rescued from the ships following the incident, one person is feared dead.

Captain of the Solong, Russian national Vladimir Motin, 59, has appeared been charged with gross negligence manslaughter and was remanded in custody following the catastrophic incident.