Second inquiry into log ship fatality at port

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Investigations into the death of a crewman after an accident on a log ship tied up at Eastland Port continue today.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) has started an inquiry, alongside one by Maritime New Zealand, into the death of a 50-year-old man who was tightening wire rope on the Coresky OL about 1.45am yesterday.

The TAIC initial report says the crew were lashing a stack of logs to the deck of the ship. They were using a ship’s crane to tighten wire ropes on the stack, when a wire rope broke and recoiled, striking a crew member.

One crew member was critically injured and died later in Gisborne Hospital.

His nationality has not yet been released.

Another crew member was hurt in the accident but did not need to be taken to hospital.

The Coresky OL remains detained in the port until the investigations are complete,

Eastland Port suspended wharfside operations yesterday although the flow of logs into the port area continued.

Three log ships remain at anchor in Turanganui-a-Kiwa/Poverty Bay, waiting their turn to enter the port and start loading.

Eastland Port general manager Andrew Gaddum this morning said they were hopeful investigations would be completed today and the ship cleared to sail later this afternoon.,