At noon on 3 October 2013, the Antigua & Barbuda registered container ship ATAIR J arrived in the Port of Aarhus for discharging and loading general cargo in containers. ATAIR J was in a busy schedule that included five North European ports a week.
On the day of the accident, there was a strong southeasterly breeze that made it difficult to berth the ship. Therefore, it was decided to use the spring line to hold the bow in place and use the rudder and propulsion to get the stern alongside. The spring line parted shortly after having been secured to the quay bollard. It struck the bosun who was standing in the enclosed forecastle – causing fatal injuries.
The flag State of ATAIR J has assisted the Danish Maritime Accident Investigation Board in the investigation of this accident.
The report can be downloaded in PDF format here.