Investigation into sinking of Manx-registered ship complete

Two further bodies were recovered when the Verity was salvaged this summer

An investigation looking into the sinking of an Isle of Man registered vessel is now complete.

The 'Verity' sank following a collision between two ships in the German Bight a year ago this week (24 October 2023).

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its interim report into the incident as 'the full investigation report will not be published within 12 months of the accident date'.

The agency has been investigating on behalf of the Isle of Man government in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between the MAIB and the Red Ensign Group Category 1 registries of Isle of Man, Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Gibraltar.

The Verity was heading from Bremen to Immingham in Lincolnshire when it was involved in a crash with the Bahamas registered bulk carrier Polesie, which had departed from Hamburg on a journey to La Coruña in Spain.

Seven people were onboard the Manx-registered ship at the time of its sinking at 4.55am local time (2.55am GMT).

At the time, two were rescued from the water, one was confirmed to have died, and four others remained missing presumed dead.

The interim report states that when Verity was salvaged by German authorities during August and early September 2024, a further two bodies were recovered.

Two crew members remain unaccounted for.

The MAIB says its investigation 'has considered various aspects of the accident to determine the causes and circumstances of the collision and the sinking of Verity'. 

These include: the watchkeeping practices; actions to avoid collision; operational management in the German Bight traffic separation scheme; and damage to Verity.

The interim report confirms the MAIB’s investigation is complete, and a draft of the full report is being prepared and will be distributed to stakeholders for a 30-day consultation period 'in due course'.

You can find the report HERE.