Cape Town – Life jackets, a safety line and safety gear could not withstand the force of nature and this caused the deaths of three Navy officers nearly a year ago when they were swept overboard their submarine during an exercise operation off Kommetjie.
A lengthy public report was shared with the media following a Board of Inquiry (BOI) by Vice-Admiral Monde Lobese, Chief of the SA Navy, after he first briefed the Minister of Defence and Military Veterans, Angie Motshekga, and the families of the late submariners earlier this week.
He met with the families on Wednesday, September 4, 2024, and briefed the minister on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
Lieutenant-Commander Gillian Hector’s mother, Bernadette Marlouw, and her extended family, including her aunt, Carol de Monk, told Weekend Argus they were satisfied with the findings.
“The findings of the report said they did stop the drill when they realised the wind and waves were bad,” said De Monk, who spoke on behalf of the family after the engagement.
“The strong waves; that is what caused their deaths. Bernadette was present and she is satisfied with the report.
“She feels that it was God’s will, that it was her child’s time to leave this Earth and she is satisfied with how the navy treated everything and how they treated her child and that there was no anger towards them.
“The mother has closure and she said before the findings that she accepts her child’s death and that she had completed her task and purpose on Earth.
In July, Romero Hector, Gillian Hector’s husband, bravely spoke publicly during an exclusive interview with the Weekend Argus where he expressed his disappointment and that his patience was running out on the findings of the BOI. It was launched shortly after the tragic incident which took place on September 20, 2023.
Romero revealed he had not been present at the engagement and said he could not say much until the report had been scrutinised and had previously asked for a full disclosure of what took place on the fataful day.
“It is regretful and sad that the Navy elected to make a media statement about the outcome of the BOI and that I had to be notified thereof via the media. I had the reasonable expectation that the Navy would, at the very least, engage me, as the still grieving husband and a Commander serving the Navy, with the details of what I now had to read in a media statement, simultaneous with the general public.
“I will not comment any further, save to say that I have engaged the services of Counsel who is well versed in these matters. He already engaged the office of the Navy to hand over the BOI copy in the interests of transparency and justice and we received no reply. They can expect to hear from my Counsel, during next week,” he said.
Hector had made headlines as being the first African woman to navigate a submarine.
Hector, Warrant Officer William Masela Mathipa, and Warrant Officer Mmokwapa Lucas Mojela were killed during a storm when high waves impacted a vertical transfer (VERTREP) exercise involving the South African Air Force (SAAF) Maritime Lynx helicopter and the SA Navy’s submarine SAS Manthatisi in Kommetjie.
The submarine was en route to Cape Town. Seven crew members were swept out to sea during the incident, of whom four survived.
Following the incident, Lobese said the SAS Manthatisi tragedy was caused due to Mother Nature, following a freak wave.
According to the outcome of the BOI, Lobese, said they thanked the families for being patient.
Lobese said prior to sailing, certain tests and evaluations must be performed before a submarine or other platform may be sent to sea to guarantee that it is safe to do so.
“The Operational Sea Training (OST) team/section, led by a former submarine captain, qualifies and sanctions the submarine and its crew to execute specific evolutions, including the day,” he detailed.
He said on the day of the tragedy, SAS MANTHATISI was authorised to carry out multiple evolutions, including VERTREP.
“The weather on the day was manageable and the VERTREP had previously been completed in conditions comparable to worse weather circumstances,” he stated.
“The VERTREP was approved by the Officer Commanding of the submarine and helicopter.
“However, the VERTREP could not be finalised because the parties were not able to get the two members on the casing.
“The exercise was thus called off by both parties and the members were hoisted back into the helicopter.”
He added that just as everyone was about to get back into the submarine, the sea conditions changed abruptly, resulting in unexpected freak waves and gave a blow by blow of how they were swept overboard.
“Then the casing party (Lt Cdr Hector, MWOMathipa, WO1 Mojela and LS Sosibo) was swept into the sea by a freak wave,” he added.
“Everyone was still attached to the safety line, when the XO bumped her head against the submarine's hull, rendering her unconscious. With the assistance of the safety swimmer everyone managed to get back onto the casing.
“The XO (Hector) was resuscitated and started to breathe.
“Everyone was fine, WO Mathipa and Mojela unclipped their safety lines to go back into the submarine.
“Just as they proceeded back tot he submarine, another freak wave washed them overboard. It was only the XO (Hector) that was still attached to the safety line.
“At this stage members of the crew came to assist their comrades.
“As they were pulling them out another freak wave hit them washing them away and dispersing them.
“They managed to get the XO out of the water back into the submarine where the Ops Medic attended to her while the others in the water were rescued by NSRI.
“The former (Ops Medic) tried to resuscitate WO Mathipa and Mojela but to no effect.
“The severity and force of the freak waves, the foul weather gear that becomes heavy when wet, and the movement of the boat pushing the members to and fro in the cold sea conditions took its toll on the members. It drained their energy to such an extent that they could only float and wait to be rescued.”
He said the findings revealed that some of the life jackets that were used were standard, up to 120kg and that they realised that the safety line was not conducive to carry a lot of members at the same time.
“The line to the safety harness was too long,” he added.
“The doctrine does not specify the length of the line in different evolutions. It also never required for the casing party to wear safety head gear. Regarding the Man Overboard exercises, the doctrine did not provide for a Man Overboard locator beacon.”
Since the incident, he said they had learnt that the equipment was not strong enough and they have now begun using gear which can take more weight in the event of strong waves and bad weather conditions.
He said since the BOI, progress revealed: “It is now modernised and improved to handle 270kg (with foul weather gear) and survive rough sea conditions.
“The (safety) line was improved to ensure that it would not stretch and it would be capable of handling five members at the same time. It will also be reduced to ensure that members will not be submerged when slipping from the casing,” he said.
“The specification in the length of the line in different evolutions comes with experience.
“Since the doctrine never required the casing party to wear safety headgear, this requirement is now included as part of the gear once you step on the casing.
“With the Man Overboard exercises the doctrine did not provide for a Man Overboard locator beacon.
“This will now become part of the doctrine. We will also ensure that the rescue man that is utilised on the submarine is not only conversant with water but also needs to be a strong swimmer.”
Lobese added that even if all of the lessons learnt had been implemented and all corrective actions had been done prior to this evolution, there was simply no way to ensure that the outcome would have been different due to the aforementioned negative circumstances.
“What we can tell is that the sailors of SAS MANTHANTISI were heroes who followed the Code of Conduct for Uniformed Members to the letter, carrying out their mission with courage and assisting their comrades in arms, even at the risk of their own lives,” he said.
“It was just the submarine was at the right place at the wrong time when Mother Nature had the final word.”