'Negligence' caused 'Lakemba' loss

ti. , tbe H OO - ton ’ million passenger-cargo vessel Lakemba off Vatulele, Fiji, last October, was caused by the “default “ d of . * e shi f’ s third officer ’ Mr - A - D - McEwen. This U |j findl u B of J be i ud 8 e at a Marine Court of Inquiry into the loss, held in Hong Kong in June.

The judge said Mr. McEwen had not only failed to obev the master s instructions to wake him before changing the ship’s course but d t a S( J B ° ne t 0 S ee ? ° n watch - He order ed that Mr. McEwen’s Z n l^l tQ 7 com Petence be suspended for nine months. The judge said to ?£ mt ° ac f. ount tilat McEwen had been unemployed for a period ?he e inq h uirf OUndm8 ’ alS ° had resigned a j° b in Australia to attend !°^ mer mast er of the Lakemba, Captain John Ward, was fully exonerated from any blame, the judge said • Mr. McEwen was ready to accept full’responsibility for the ground ing of the Lakemba, Mr. R. H. Hindmarsh (for McEwen) told the an^ Ul i7‘ He u Mr. McEwen was a competent and responsible officer and it was unfortunate that he had gone to sleep while on watch Earlier, m evidence, Mr. McEwen said he was very tired that vemng He had dozed off and had failed to change the ship’s course When h £ woke about 11 p.m. he saw the reef on radar and the vessd was then about two miles northeast of it. Trying to steer the ship out of danger, he took the wheel but it was too late P L Kim> C r P 7 ed r Jadge M - Morley-John, President, Captain . King and Captain A. J. Wagg, master mariners.