Cargo ship deaths in Goole ‘not suspicious’

THE deaths of three men aboard a German cargo ship after it docked in East Yorkshire were not the result of criminal activity, police say.
Goole docksGoole docks
Goole docks

The three ship workers were taken to hospital in Hull following what police describe as an “incident” on board the vessel at Goole’s West Dock.

Police were called on Monday after reports that a man had been taken ill aboard the Suntis, which was carrying timber and arrived on Saturday.

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He and two others were taken to Hull Royal Infirmary by ambulance but died. They were named today by police as Ferrer Punongayan, 33, and Jonathan Sanosa, 38, both from the Philippines, and German Gerd Jescheniak, 60.

After finishing their investigation, Humberside Police said officers had “determined that nothing suspicious has been found and, no criminal activity has taken place”.

It added in a statement: “The investigation, to determine how the three men died, has now been handed over to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. Police will now prepare a file for the coroner.”

The Suntis, which was built in 1985, is owned by Uwe Warnecke and Luise Warnecke of Heiligenstedten in northern Germany.

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When contacted by The Yorkshire Post, a woman who said she was the wife of the manager said the firm did not want to comment while the investigation was ongoing.

A spokeswoman for ABP, which runs the docks, said: “We can confirm that an incident has occurred aboard a vessel currently berthed in Goole and we are working closely with the relevant authorities.”

The Rev Andrew Wright, Secretary General of The Mission to Seafarers, a Christian welfare charity serving merchant sailors around the world, said: “The tragic deaths on the Suntis illustrate clearly the dangers of working at sea.

“Despite laudable advancements in technology and training over the years, accidents do happen, and in harsh and complex working environments they can cost lives.

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“Unfortunately, for many of the world’s 1.5 million seafarers, danger is often present despite safety measures, training and other precautions.

“Over 90 per cent of the goods we use every day come to us by sea, and we in the UK rely on this hidden workforce.

“It is regrettable that it takes an accident like this to bring them into the public eye. Incidents like these often leave the remaining crew shocked or traumatised, and we offer counselling and practical support to crews such as this one every day.”