Channel death crew's fear

Channel death crew's fear

The crew of a ship which sank off the Sussex coast, leading to the death of the captain, have told a court how shocked and scared they were.

Wolfram Gross, 59, drowned after the Ash sank eight miles off Hastings on 9 October 2001 after a collision with another ship.

Lewes Crown Court has heard Mr Gross, from Germany, had jumped from the sinking ship with his crewmates but lost his lifejacket.

Brian Norcutt D'Esterre-Roberts, an officer from the other ship involved in the collision, has pleaded not guilty to Mr Gross' manslaughter.

Mr D'Esterre-Roberts, 39, from Ireland, was officer on watch on the 4,700 tonne Dutch ship Aquamarine.

I was frightened and scared

Witness Vladimir Marataev

The court heard it was travelling along the Channel, in the same direction as the Ash but about twice as fast, and hit the smaller ship, holing it below the water line.

A statement from the Ash's chief engineer, Russian national Vladimir Marataev, was read to the court on Friday.

It said he heard a shout and saw the tanker a metre or two from his ship's starboard side.

The first impact hit the lifeboat and broke its crane and forced the ship sideways before a second impact.

'Huge explosion and wave'

He said within a minute, the ship began to sink, listing more than 45 degrees, leaving the crew unable to reach the life raft.

The court heard Mr Gross fell off the bridge onto the main deck but a "huge explosion and a huge wave" then carried him 30-50m away without his life jacket.

Mr Marataev said in his statement: "The whole incident happened extremely quickly. I was frightened and scared."

The crew members were all rescued, Mr Gross being winched from the sea, but he was declared dead on arrival at hospital in Hastings.

Mr D'Esterre-Roberts, from County Cork, admits breaching or neglecting his duty to prevent his ship colliding with another vessel, causing the loss of the ship or the injury or death of another crew member, but denies manslaughter.

The trial continues.