Maritime NZ will not prosecute over truckie drownings

Maritime New Zealand does not intend to prosecute anyone over the deaths of two drivers after their concrete trucks toppled off a barge into Picton Harbour in August last year.

Releasing its findings at an inquest into the deaths of Allan Tempero, 58, and Tom Phillips, 62, both of Blenheim, Maritime New Zealand said the barge was not covered by any maritime regulations at the time of the accident.

It said a number of failures contributed to the accident.

Accident investigator David Billington said there were no maritime rules or regulations for stability in barges of this size, no formal communication between the three parties involved in the loading, and no formal hazard identification by McManaway Marine, the owner of the barge.

Although McManaway staff had informally identified hazards, coroner Peter Radich asked how that could be adequate if there was no process for finding the weight of trucks on the barge.

Mr Billington also identified five "active failures" that led to the accident:

* The loss of the inherent stability of the barge as weight was transferred from the ramp to the barge.

* The small margin of error in the barge's stationary stability.

* The eight-wheeler Hino truck that toppled first was heavier than trucks normally carried on the barge.

* The vessel was further destabilised by the fact that the other truck was longer than other six-wheeler trucks carried on board earlier.

* A lack of attention from the driver of the Hino, leading it to be in the wrong position during loading.

Skipper Michael Sullivan, who was on the bridge of the Rakanui tugboat during loading, told the court there was enough light to give him a clear view of both trucks.

He said the rear wheels of the truck were fully on the barge, but added he did not notice the Hino move towards the wrong side.

As the rear of the truck hit the side of the barge, Mr Sullivan applied full power to the tug in an attempt to steady the barge and grabbed a spotlight, but the eight-wheeler had already sunk beneath the water.

Cross-examined, Mr Sullivan said if he had known the true weight of the trucks it would have "rung a lot of alarm bells" and he would not have let the second truck on board because it was too heavy.

- NZPA