Sandy Hook Pilot Timothy M. Murray lost his life while boarding a ship (08/05/2020)

It has been exactly one year ago that a pilot from Sandy Hook (New York), Dennis Sherwood, died in the line of duty while attempting to board the container vessel Maersk Kensington.
What has happened since then? Has safety been improved for the pilots?

Ladders are the bridges for crossing the rough seas of our lives.
When you are a Marine Pilot at work, hoping and praying that the ladders which let you embark the vessel are stable, safe and not dangerous.
In Memoriam of the late Captain Dennis Sherwood who passed away on Monday the 30th of December.

The American Pilots’ Association has sent a letter to state pilotage authorities across the United States on behalf of approximately 1,200 American ship pilots to improve safety pilot safety following the death of a New York pilot in December.

The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s (MAIB) has published their latest annual report showing that pilot ladders remain a safety issue for workers.

The chairman of the Suez Canal Authority has suggested a possible mistake by the captain of the Ever Given could have led to the grounding of the giant container ship in the waterway last month.

Video Courtesy: Kristijan Sablic

The RCMP are investigating the death of a man who went overboard outside St. John's harbour from a pilot boat early Tuesday morning.

Another accident was reported on YouTube on Feb. 3rd 2020 by akif pradias. "This video shown how's hwalein pilot got accident while boarding the vessel, its teach us to be more carefully during pilot transfer..." We do not put videos of accidents on our website out of voyeurism. We would like to point out that the work of a pilot is always dangerous, especially when embarking and disembarking! These incidents should be a warning. It can hit anyone out of carelessness. Dear pilots, please...

A maritime pilot, also known as harbor pilot, is a mariner who maneuvers ships through dangerous or ongested waters, such as harbors or river mouths.

Qualified pilots are usually employed by the local port or maritime administration, and provide their services to ships for a fee, calculated in relation to the ship’s tonnage, draught or other criteria.