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Chris Lau

Crew on board the catamaran that safely returned to shore after the deadly Lamma ferry collision in 2012 did nothing but panic when the tragedy occurred, the last prosecution witness told the High Court yesterday, describing the scene as "complete madness and mayhem".
John Rebanks, who was sitting in the front few rows of Hong Kong and Kowloon Ferry's Sea Smooth, said he saw sailors on the lower deck scurrying around despite water gushing out from one of the damaged manholes "like a fountain" into the cabin.
"They were running around a lot but didn't seem to do anything constructive," he said.
Rebanks said domestic workers with children were looking "bewildered and stunned" and that some foreigners tried to give advice to the crew, but to no avail, as they only spoke Cantonese.
He said the impact threw him from his seat, causing him to suffer bruises to his head and arms.
"There was a tremendous amount of screaming," he said.
When prosecutor Andrew Bruce SC asked if this was just on the Sea Smooth, Rebanks replied "from outside as well", referring to the passengers on Hongkong Electric's Lamma IV - the other boat involved.
The court heard how Rebanks, who has been a Lamma resident since 1997, realised there was going to be a crash when he noticed lights coming from about 100 yards away on the portside, which he initially thought was a beacon.
The collision which happened moments later claimed 39 lives on October 1, 2012.
Rebanks also showed the court a sketch he had made previously to explain how he thought the crash had taken place.
He said Lamma IV tried to avoid Sea Smooth by turning to starboard but the evasive action did not come fast enough. "It [slid] straight into it," he said.
He told the court Sea Smooth penetrated the back of Lamma IV, reaching as deep as the two passenger seats closest to the window. Rebanks said at one point he had considered abandoning the ship and that he also overheard debate over whether the catamaran should head to Lamma as soon as possible. Last month, the court heard testimony from another prosecution witness, Cheung Hon-yee, who said: "[Sea Smooth] should have stopped completely to do a damage assessment."
Rebanks, who was the only prosecution witness to have seen the crash from Sea Smooth, said that Lamma IV "disappeared in the dark" after the catamaran continued sailing towards Lamma.
The court earlier heard Lamma IV passenger Wong Tai-wah describe seeing his wife, who had sustained a blow, sink into the sea. She was later found dead.
Lamma IV's skipper Chow Chi-wai, 58, and Sea Smooth captain, Lai Sai-ming, 56, have both pleaded not guilty to 39 counts of manslaughter and two counts of endangering the safety of others at sea.
The defence case is expected to start on Monday before Mr Justice Brian Keith.
 

	Ship surveyor denied costs order over inquiry into Lamma ferry tragedy
A retired government ship surveyor will have to bear the legal costs if he opts to continue his attempt to challenge the findings of an inquiry into the 2012 Lamma ferry tragedy, a High Court judge ruled yesterday.
Mr Justice Jeremy Poon Shiu-chor  ruled that Wong Chi-kin  was seeking a judicial review out of private interest rather than for the public good as he refused to grant a protective costs order. The order would have prevented the government from seeking an order for costs against Wong should his review application be rejected.
“In my view, none of the issues raised by the applicant involves any public general importance,” Poon wrote, adding that Wong had failed to show  that he lacked the financial resources to continue with the application. He told Wong to inform the court within a week whether he wished to carry on.
Speaking outside court, Wong said he would consider whether to appeal against the judge’s decision not to grant the order. He also said he had yet to decide whether to continue with the review.
Wong, a former general manager of the Marine Department’s local vessel safety branch, was a witness at the inquiry into the accident off Lamma Island  on October 1, 2012. 
	Wong claimed that the report contained incorrect information and made false accusations against employees of the department.
	Julie Chu
 


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Families of Hong Kong ferry crash victims say verdict won’t bring closure

Hong Kong set to receive long-awaited inquest verdict on 2012 Lamma ferry crash

Lamma ferry crash

Sea Smooth crew did nothing constructive, witness to Lamma Island ferry crash tells court

Hongkong Electric's Lamma IV sinks into the waters off Yung Shue Wan, Lamma Island, on October 1, 2012. Photo: SCMP Pictures

John Rebanks

News

Hong Kong

Island resident tells court that sailors did nothing constructive as water poured through damaged manhole after National Day ferry collision


Crew on board the catamaran that safely returned to shore after the deadly Lamma ferry collision in 2012 did nothing but panic when the tragedy occurred, the last prosecution witness told the High Court yesterday, describing the scene as "complete madness and mayhem".


Sea Smooth crew did nothing constructive, witness to Lamma Island ferry crash tells court

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Island resident tells court that sailors did nothing constructive as water poured through damaged manhole after National Day ferry collision

Island resident tells court that sailors did nothing constructive as water poured through damaged manhole after National Day ferry collision