Sixteen seamen taken off blazing oil tanker The collision which involved a tanker off the Humber estuary on 17 September 1989, and the subsequent fire, made front-page news throughout the country, and the actions of the Humber lifeboat crew in taking off many of the Filipino crew of the Liberian-registered vessel has earned them a letter of thanks from the Philippine Ambassador in the UK.Writing to Brian Bevan, the Superintendent Coxswain at Humber lifeboat station, on behalf of his government, the Filipino people and the crew and their families he said: 'May I express my deepest gratitude and appreciation to you and your members for the brave and courageous rescue.' The collision, which caused a major pollution alert, began at 0450 when Humber Coastguard informed the Superintendent Coxswain of Humber lifeboat that there had been a collision and subsequent Mayday broadcast from the Fiona, a 28,709 ton Maltese-registered bulk carrier, anchored near the Humber Light Buoy some 10 miles east of Spurn Point.

Fire The vessel had a fire on board, was unable to identify the other vessel involved in the collision and required immediate assistance.

The lifeboat crew were immediately summoned and the Arun class lifeboat Kenneth The/wall slipped her moorings at 0500 to proceed.

While on passage it was learned that the other vessel involved was the Phillips Oklahoma which was on fire with 25 crew on board.

Helicopters and other ships in the area were on their way to the scene, and four minesweepers were also close at hand. One of them spotted and recovered one man from the water on the way to the burning tanker.

The man, recovered safe and well, had been knocked overboard from the Fiona and was the only man unaccounted for.

Such was the intensity of the fire that while still five miles from the casualty, and in continuous moderate rain, the fire on the Phillips Oklahoma could be seen lighting up the surrounding sea.

At 0537 the lifeboat arrived on scene to find the Phillips Oklahoma burning fiercely from a ruptured tank on the starboard side with all of her starboard side accommoda-lion and bridge engulfed in flames and dense black smoke. The master of the Phillips Oklahoma was conducting his operations from a small secondary wheelhouse in the bows of the ship. Oil escaping from the tanker was blazing on the water for up to half a mile down-tide of the ship.

The master of the Fiona informed the Coastguard that the fire in the fore part of his ship had now been extinguished but there was considerable damage to her bows.

The minesweeper HMS Middleton was at the scene when the Arun arrived but could not get too close to the casualty as she was carrying explosives. Some men could be seen fighting the fire with hoses on the port after deck but the majority of the crew were assembled amidships in lifejackets. Three pilot ladders had been rigged on the port side ready for evacuation.The rig supply vessel Sterling Tern was the first vessel to arrive with fire fighting cannons and closed in on the starboard side to train her two monitors on the fire. As the fire was getting worse, with constant eruptions of balls of fire, the master of the casualty agreed to evacuate all non-essential personnel, requesting that 16 crew members be taken off.

Kenneth The/wall closed into a ladder on the port side of the casualty and by 0635 had safely taken off 16 of the crew, leaving nine people on board.

Helicopters were on the scene by now, along with several ships that had responded to the Mayday, and three fire-fighting tugs were on the way.

At 0715 the lifeboat transferred the 16 survivors to the car transporter Autobahn close by, for warm drinks and food, and continued to stand by the casualty in case of further need. Four fire teams from Immingham were on board by now, being brought on two fire-fighting tugs Lady Susan and Lady Stephanie, and a second rig supply vessel. Sterling Esk, was also on the scene fighting the fire.

At 0945, with the fire now out and the fire teams damping down and checking round, the lifeboat was released from standing by and picked up the 16 survivors from the Autobahn to transfer them ashore into the care of the ship's agents and representatives of the Mission to Seamen.

At 0949 the 16 crew were back on the lifeboat and she returned to Grimsby, landing them at the Royal Dock Basin in Grimsby at 1113.

Kenneth Thelwall arrived back at her station at 1143 and was remoored and ready for service at 1224..