Skipper guilty of valuing fishing ahead of crewman

A skipper who kept fishing instead of seeking help for an injured engineer has been convicted of placing a crew-member in unnecessary danger.

On the second day of a hearing in the Christchurch District Court yesterday, Clarabelle skipper John Adams changed his plea to guilty and was convicted under the Maritime Transport Act on the danger charge and for failing to report the accident to Maritime NZ. He was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling $7000.

The Clarabelle was fishing off the west coast of the North Island in October 2003 when there was an oil fire in the galley.

Engineer Amigo Westbrook, 33, was overcome with fumes and had to be resuscitated. But Adams refused to radio for medical assistance.

Mr Westbrook was unable to work for four days and repeatedly asked to be taken back to shore. However, he did not receive medical attention until two weeks after the accident, when the ship returned to Wellington.

Maritime NZ deputy director Bruce Maroc said the sentence showed skippers had an obligation to ensure working conditions were safe.

It was "inexcusable" that Adams put financial and operational considerations ahead of the wellbeing of his crew, he said.

In May, the company that owned the Clarabelle, Strait Arrow Holdings, was convicted and fined for failing to report the accident and for not taking steps to ensure the safety of its employees.

- NZPA