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'Flying Phantom' Lost in a Tragic Accident
27 Jan 2008
The Clyde tug 'Flying Phantom' and three of her crew were tragically lost when the vessel capsized and sank near Clydebank on 19 December. Owned by Svitzer, Flying Phantom was one of three tugs towing the 39,000 grt bulk carrier 'Red Jasmine' bound for Rothesay dock in dense fog when the incident occurred. Initial reports indicated that the tug may have grounded during the towing operation but the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) is carrying out an extensive investigation.
'Flying Phantom' sank on the Clyde under tragic circumstances. (photo – B Climie)
The tug’s master, chief engineer, and one crewman died in the accident but a fourth member of the crew miraculously escaped to be picked up by a workboat whilst attempting to swim ashore. Divers were quickly on the scene and carried out a painstaking search of the sunken tug but it took a couple of days to recover the bodies of all three lost tugmen.
Flying Phantom was built locally by Ferguson in 1981 and is a 37.99 metre tug powered by two Ruston main engines driving a single shaft to achieve a bollard pull of 35 tons. The tug was extensively modernised in 1997 when it was fitted with a retractable, steerable Aquamaster bow thruster and a new towing winch.
At the time of writing preparations were being made by Svitzer Salvage to recover the tug using the chartered sheerlegs 'GPS Atlas'.
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