Wikipedia

Sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz

MS Jan Heweliusz sank on 14 January 1993, between about 04:10 and 05:12 (UTC+1) as the ship was crossing the Baltic Sea, en route from Świnoujście, Poland, to Ystad, Sweden. Out of 64 passengers and crew, 55 died in the disaster.[2] It is the largest peacetime maritime disaster in Polish history.[3]

Sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz
MS Jan Heweliusz in 1982
Date14 January 1993; 31 years ago (1993-01-14)
Time04:10–05:12 (UTC+1)
Duration1 hour and 2 minutes
LocationBaltic Sea
Coordinates54°36′58″N 14°13′16″E / 54.61611°N 14.22111°E / 54.61611; 14.22111[1]
TypeMaritime disaster
Participants64; 9 survivors
Deaths55

Background

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The MS Jan Heweliusz, a roll-on/roll-off ship, was launched in 1977.[4][5] It was owned by Polish Ocean Lines and operated by Euroafrica [pl].[2][6] It operated between Świnoujście and Ystad, transporting trucks and rail cars.[7][8]

Over 15 years, the ship had 28 serious accidents, including a major fire in 1986. After the fire, Polish Ocean Lines ordered repairs to the ship, which resulted in 60 tons of concrete being added to the affected deck, causing stability issues.[3][9]

Four days before the disaster, the ship's stern gate was damaged while docking in Ystad.[10] Because of this, Captain Andrzej Ułasiewicz [pl] wanted to cancel the ship's departure and take it out of service for repairs. However, the shipowners ordered the crew to provisionally repair the stern gate and have it gradually repaired at a later time during lay-ups.[3] Temporary repairs to the stern gate caused the ship's departure to be delayed by two hours.[8][11]

Sinking

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The ship set sail at 22:30 (UTC+1) on the evening of 13 January 1993, two hours behind schedule. It was carrying 35 passengers, 29 crew members, 28 trucks, and 10 rail cars.[7][9] The weather forecast called for strong winds.[12][13]

At around 02:40 on 14 January 1993,[8] weather conditions began to deteriorate as a result of Storm Verena, which was sweeping across the Baltic Sea.[14][15] The ship experienced winds measuring 12 on the Beaufort scale; wind speeds reached 160 km/h (86 kn; 99 mph) and waves reached a height of 5 m (16 ft).[16] As the ship struggled with stability, the crew reduced its speed. This caused a loss in steering.[8] Additionally, the crew filled the port side ballast tanks in an attempt to increase stability.[17]

At around 04:00, a hurricane-force gust struck the side of the ship, causing it to list.[8] Captain Ułasiewicz attempted to mitigate this by steering the ship's bow toward the direction of the wind, but to no avail.[11] A sudden gust of wind struck the starboard side of the ship, causing a severe list to port.[17][18] The fasteners that secured the ship's cargo broke, exacerbating the situation.[19][20]

Passengers were awakened in the middle of the night to loud noises and severe listing.[13] At 04:30, Captain Ułasiewicz ordered an evacuation of the ship.[8] Many passengers were only wearing pajamas as they attempted to evacuate. Several were thrown overboard by gusts of wind.[19] At 04:40, the ship sent out a "mayday" call.[21] At 05:12,[3] the ship capsized about 24 km (15 mi) off the coast of Cape Arkona on the island of Rügen.[22][23] Survivors stated that the ship capsized so quickly that it was difficult to launch the lifeboats in time.[24]

First I heard [Captain Ułasiewicz] calling on VHF-DSC Channel 16. He said that the ferry had a 30-degree list and was sounding an alarm to abandon ship. Rønne Radio [da] was already on the radio. The shore station called Jan Heweliusz, asking for the vessel's position. The response was that the list to the side was reaching 70 degrees, and then there was silence. At that point, any communication with the ferry was cut off forever.

— Edward Bieniek, Captain of the MS Mikołaj Kopernik [pl][3]

Rescue effort

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Rescue helicopters were deployed from Parow, near Stralsund, and from Denmark.[10] MS Jan Śniadecki [pl], which would eventually replace Jan Heweliusz on the Świnoujście-Ystad line, was also deployed in the rescue operations.[25] Due to miscommunication about the ferry's location, the helicopters did not arrive until about an hour and a half after the sinking.[26] The water temperature was 2 °C (36 °F), causing the few lifeboat occupants to suffer from hypothermia.[4][24][27]

Only nine people survived, all Polish crew members, and were flown to German hospitals to be treated for hypothermia.[4][28] The deceased, most of whom were truck drivers, included Swedish, Austrian, Hungarian, Norwegian, Czech, and Yugoslav nationals.[29][30] Only 37 bodies were recovered.[24][31]

Investigation

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Prime Minister Hanna Suchocka established a commission to investigate the disaster, however, the commission's inquiry was suspended in March 1993 without producing a report.[2][32]

After years of investigation, it was ruled that the shipowner who allowed the Jan Heweliusz to operate, Euroafrica, was responsible for the disaster. The Polish Register of Shipping, the Szczecin Maritime Office [pl], and Captain Andrzej Ułasiewicz were also found to have been partially liable.[16][33]

Victims

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A total of 55 lives were lost in the disaster: 20 crew members and 35 passengers.[34]

Crew

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  • Andrzej Ułasiewicz [pl]
  • Marek Behrendt
  • Tomasz Brudnicki
  • Kazimierz Choszcz
  • Ryszard Cikota
  • Roger Janicki
  • Mirosław Kolberg
  • Andrzej Korzeniowski
  • Tadeusz Łastowski
  • Józef Noga
  • Mieczysław Ostrzyniewski
  • Stanisław Pacek
  • Leszek Pyciński
  • Teresa Sienkiewicz
  • Paweł Sobociński
  • Janusz Subicki
  • Bronisław Sychta
  • Włodzimierz Szpilman
  • Janusz Szydłowski
  • Zenon Wawrzak

Passengers

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  • Ingvar Andersson
  • Lajos Balázs
  • Václav Čondl
  • Karl Eichert
  • Sylvia Eichert
  • József Furulyás
  • Małgorzata Gajowska
  • Milena Gajowska-Vasić
  • Agnieszka Goldman
  • Czesław Gorlewski
  • Witold Gręda
  • Kjell Håkansson
  • Roy Halvorsen
  • Conny Irskog
  • Zdeněk Juřík
  • Bo Karlsson
  • Marek Kośny
  • Andrzej Kozłowski
  • Witold Krawczyk
  • Johan Lars-Börje Lennartsson
  • Per Martens
  • Peter Olsson
  • Henryk Owczarczyk
  • Ryszard Pałka
  • Erwin Pappenscheller
  • Władysław Półtorak
  • Johann Reischer
  • István Small
  • Zdzisław Sosnowski
  • Witold Staszkiewicz
  • Mihály Vargha
  • Dymitr Vasić
  • Ferenc Végh
  • Peter Weissenbacher
  • Barbara Zaborska

Legacy

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Memorial in Szczecin's Central Cemetery

A memorial to the victims was erected in Szczecin's Central Cemetery in 2013.[35] There is also a memorial in Plac Rybaka in Świnoujście.[36] Some items recovered from the tragedy are on display at the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk.[37]

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The sinking of the MS Jan Heweliusz will be the subject of a 2025 Netflix miniseries, titled Heweliusz.[38] The series was announced as "the largest and most complex Polish television series production in recent years," featuring over 120 named characters and 3,000 extras, and requiring a crew of over 140 members.[39]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Bogalecka, Magda; Jakusik, Ewa; Kołowrocki, Krzysztof (2017). "Data collection of last 30 years ship accidents at the Baltic Sea area" (PDF). Journal of Polish Safety and Reliability Association. 8 (4). Polish Safety and Reliability Association: 125–134. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "CASE OF BRUDNICKA AND OTHERS v. POLAND". Strasbourg: European Court of Human Rights. 3 March 2005. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Weltrowski, Piotr (13 January 2024). "31 lat temu zatonął prom Jan Heweliusz. Katastrofa, która wciąż wzbudza emocje". Trojmiasto.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Bridge, Adrian (15 January 1993). "54 drowned in Polish ferry disaster". The Independent. Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  5. ^ Boyce, Jon; Wade, Stewart; Tinsley, David (1980). Ro-ro ships and their market role: a Fairplay report. London: IHS Fairplay. p. 212. ISBN 9780905045115.
  6. ^ "27th Anniversary of MS Jan Heweliusz tragedy". Kierowcy HGV UK. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  7. ^ a b Szozda, Zbigniew (2009). "Application of the TRIPOD method for human factor analysis on the example of m/f Jan Heweliusz capsizing" (PDF). Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Stability of Ships and Ocean Vehicles, STAB. St. Petersburg, Russia. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Sowa, Tomasz (14 January 2023). "Jedna z największych tragedii w historii Polski. Jak zatonął prom "Jan Heweliusz"?". Ciekawostki Historyczne (in Polish). Retrieved 19 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b Elmerych, Michał (13 January 2023). "Trzydzieści lat od zatonięcia promu. Pytań o Jana Heweliusza nie ubywa [ROZMOWA]". Głos Koszaliński (in Polish). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  10. ^ a b "Der Untergang der "Jan Heweliusz"". Norddeutscher Rundfunk (in German). 18 October 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Na Bałtyku szalał sztorm, prom Jan Heweliusz zatonął. 30 lat temu zginęło 55 osób". TVN24 (in Polish). 14 January 2023. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  12. ^ "Polish city mourns 52 killed in ferry disaster". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas, Nevada. Associated Press. 16 January 1993. p. 13a.
  13. ^ a b "Chief steward recalls surviving ferry tragedy". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Las Vegas, Nevada. Associated Press. 17 January 1993. p. 14a.
  14. ^ "Wetter: Schwere Unwetter der vergangenen Jahre". Die Zeit (in German). 10 June 2014. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  15. ^ Born, Kai; Ludwig, Patrick; Pinto, Joaquim G. (1 December 2012). "Wind gust estimation for Mid-European winter storms: towards a probabilistic view" (PDF). Tellus A: Dynamic Meteorology and Oceanography. 64 (1). International Meteorological Institute: 17471. doi:10.3402/tellusa.v64i0.17471. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  16. ^ a b "Katastrofa promu Jan Heweliusz. Śmierć w lodowatych falach Bałtyku". Polskie Radio (in Polish). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  17. ^ a b "Friedhof aus Wasser". Der Spiegel (in German). 13 June 1993. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  18. ^ Caban, Jacek; Brumercikova, Eva; Bukova, Bibiana; Brumercik, Frantisek; Vrábel, Ján; Šarkan, Branislav; Ignaciuk, Piotr (1 November 2017). "Conception of the Maritime Transport Safety in the Baltic Sea in 2009 to 2015". LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics. 8 (2). Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice: 12–23. doi:10.1515/logi-2017-0012.
  19. ^ a b Kawczyńska, Marta (6 January 2024). "Katastrofa promu "Jan Heweliusz". Co się wydarzyło tej feralnej nocy?". Dziennik Gazeta Prawna (in Polish). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  20. ^ Kletz, Trevor (2001). "Herald of Free Enterprise" (pdf). Learning from Accidents (3 ed.). London: Routledge: 226–233. doi:10.1016/B978-075064883-7/50023-3. ISBN 978-0-7506-4883-7. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  21. ^ Disaster on the Baltic Sea – The Sinking of the "Jan Heweliusz" (in German). German Maritime Search and Rescue Service. 13 March 2023. Retrieved 22 August 2024 – via YouTube.
  22. ^ "Pamięć o ofiarach tragedii. W rocznicę zatonięcia promu "Jan Heweliusz"". Kurier Szczeciński (in Polish). 14 January 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  23. ^ Jones, Tamara (15 January 1993). "54 Dead, 9 Injured After Polish Ferry Capsizes in Baltic Sea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  24. ^ a b c DeAngelis, Richard M., ed. (1993). "North Atlantic Weather January, February, and March 1993". Mariners Weather Log. 37 (1). National Oceanographic Data Center: 70. ISSN 0025-3367. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  25. ^ Jarosz, Justyna (29 January 2024). "Jan Śniadecki sprzedany. Nowy operator i nowa nazwa". GospodarkaMorska.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  26. ^ "Wyskoczyli na pokład w piżamach. "Morza już nie było widać"". Onet Wiadomości (in Polish). 11 January 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  27. ^ Molga, Tomasz (16 October 2020). "Nie zostawiajcie Heweliusza. Nowa rekonstrukcja największej polskiej katastrofy na Bałtyku". WP Magazyn (in Polish). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  28. ^ Lloyd's Nautical Year Book. London: Lloyd's of London Press. 1995. ISBN 9781850449386.
  29. ^ "54 Die as Polish Ferry Capsizes in Baltic Sea". The New York Times. 15 January 1993. p. A-7. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  30. ^ Olszewska, Agata (8 January 2018). "25 lat temu zatonął "Jan Heweliusz". Rocznicę katastrofy uczci Narodowe Muzeum Morskie". Miasto Gdańsk (in Polish). Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  31. ^ Ottenbreit, Kai (14 January 2022). "Swinemünde gedenkt der Schiffskatastrophe vor Rügen". Nordkurier (in German). Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  32. ^ Kareem, Abdul (13 January 2018). "January 14, 1993: 54 die as Polish ferry capsizes off Germany". Gulf News. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  33. ^ "25. rocznica katastrofy promu Jan Heweliusz". PromySkat (in Polish). 15 January 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2024.
  34. ^ "23. rocznica zatonięcia promu "Jan Heweliusz"" (PDF). Biuletyn Morski (in Polish). Szczecin: Krajowa Sekcja Morska Marynarzy i Rybaków NSZZ 'Solidarność": 10. 2016. ISSN 1426-1006. OCLC 750713058. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  35. ^ Plecan, Radosław (13 January 2013). "30. rocznica katastrofy Jana Heweliusza. Oddano hołd ofiarom [WIDEO, ZDJĘCIA]". TVP3 Szczecin (in Polish). Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  36. ^ "W Świnoujściu uczczono pamięć ofiar "Heweliusza"". Dzieje.pl (in Polish). 14 July 2016. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  37. ^ Mirowicz, Piotr (13 January 2023). "Katastrofa "Heweliusza". Osobiste przedmioty wydobyte z wraku trafiły do muzeum". Polska Agencja Prasowa (in Polish). Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  38. ^ Nagler, Anna; Kłuskiewicz, Łukasz (6 December 2022). "Celebrating a Momentous Year in Poland". About Netflix. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  39. ^ Leszczyńska, Ewelina (12 January 2024). "Gwiazdorska obsada "Heweliusza". Kto zagra w serialowej superprodukcji Netfliksa?". Filmweb (in Polish). Retrieved 22 April 2024.
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