Bugeja says he did not know how to operate Simshar safety equipment

The ill-fated trawler Simshar (registered Samsher) which disappeared in July last year had three life saving devices, but sole survivor Simon Bugeja apparently did not know how to use any of them.

A preliminary inquiry report, tabled in Parliament today, says that the Samsher had the EPRIB, VHF equipment with automatic digital selective calling, and a VMS distress button.

Asked why he did not active the EPRIB, Mr Bugeja said he had no idea how to use it because no one had informed him.

Yet, Dr Fenech said, all he had to do was to take the equipment it out of its cradle and turn the switch to the on position. Had this been activated, a distress signal would have been picked up by satellite and comunicated to the search and rescue centre in Malta.

Dr Fenech said she had had informal discussions with other fishermen, some of whom were also unaware that this equipment had to be activated.

VHF EQUIPMENT

Dr Fenech said the VHF had a distress button and all one had to do to activate it was to press it. It was not necessary to find the channel and send a distress call. But, again, Mr Bugeja said he did not really know how to operate it.

Dr Fenech said she found this hard to understand. Had he pressed the distress button, the signal would have been picked up by passing merchant vessel, including the MV Helide, which was just 36 miles away from the Samsher at the time. The VHF had a range of between 30 and 50 miles.

VMF DISTRESS BUTTON

On the VMF distress button, Dr Fenech said the VMS was not a safety measure. However, it had been established that the VMS machine on the Simshar had an automatic distress signal button which enabled the user to simply press it for five seconds, and the signal would have been picked up by satellite. Again, Simon Bugeja said he did not know about it, although Datatrak personnel said they were quite sure that when the system was installed, Mr Bugeja was fully informed about the function of the distress button.

"The Samsher (Simshar), therefore, had three separate and distinct safety devices which were all capable of extremely simple activation and which could have saved the lives of those who lost them. The main reason cited for their lack of activation was lack of time and, according to Simon Bugeja, the lack of knowledge on their activation. I find this level of ignorance on the activation of life-saving equipment unacceptable," Dr Fenech said.

The full report can be seen at:

http://doi.gov.mt/EN/press_releases/2009/06/pr1118a.pdf

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