On July 23, 2022, about 1314 local time, the bulk carrier
Bunun Queen, transiting eastbound in the Gulf of Mexico with 20 crewmembers on board, and the northbound offshore supply vessel
Thunder collided about 66 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The
Thunder sustained substantial damage to its port side, which resulted in the flooding of one of its propulsion rooms and three other spaces. Eleven of
Thunder’s 18 crew were evacuated to a Good Samaritan vessel, and the remaining crew stayed with the vessel to control the flooding while it was towed back to port. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. Damage to both vessels was estimated at $12.3 million.
We determined that the probable cause of the collision between the bulk carrier Bunun Queen and the offshore supply vessel Thunder was the Bunun Queen officer’s distraction due to performing non navigational tasks and the Thunder officer’s distraction due to cell phone use, which kept both officers from keeping a proper lookout. Contributing to the casualty was the Thunder’s officer on watch not following his company’s watchkeeping policies.
