Poor risk assessment, series of unfortunate decisions, shortcomings in crisis management: these are the main conclusions of the report on the incident of the Simplon boat, which almost sank last March at the port of Cully (VD).
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The Compagnie Générale de Navigation sur le Léman (CGN) initially “underestimated” the risk of taking its Belle Epoque ship out in bad weather for a test run on March 28. Then above all, after the boat suffered engine damage, the “central error” was to keep it moored in Cully while the meteorologists announced the lifting of a strong Vaudaire (a wind from Lake Geneva), summary Benoît Gaillard, president of the CGN, unveiling the investigation report to the press on Friday.
140 pages long and written by four independent experts, this report indicates that several CGN officials made erroneous decisions with serious consequences. Some people are accused of “reckless risk-taking”.
Departure of the operations director
Even if the responsibilities are shared, they essentially fall to the CGN operations director. It was therefore decided, “by mutual agreement”, that he should leave the company. While the CGN must review its organization in terms of crisis management, “he is no longer the appropriate person” to carry out this work, noted Mr. Gaillard.
Among the other people associated with these bad decisions, the first captain is also singled out, but retains his position. “We sent him a reminder of his professional obligations,” said Mr. Gaillard.
As for the general director of the CGN, Pierre Imhof, the report mentions that he “deferred” to the operations director when it was decided to keep the Simplon at Cully, while a “weather window” would have allowed him to be brought back and sheltered in Lausanne. No sanctions have been taken against Mr. Imhof who, moreover, will retire next June.
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“Severe report”
Also a member of the CGN board of directors, Marc-Olivier Buffat recognized that the near-sinking of the Simplon was due to “a difficult to understand sequence” of bad choices. He spoke of a “severe report” towards the CGN, emphasizing in particular that “the chain of alerts” and “the questions” had not worked.
The board of directors “is committed to remedying the shortcomings” identified in the report, continued Mr. Gaillard. The organization in crisis situations will be reviewed. It will be tested during exercises and, next year, an expert will come to check the progress made. As for the new directives issued just after the accident, for example on test trips or the management of moorings in the event of breakdowns, they will be “refined” on the basis of the report.
Renovation in sight
The circumstances of the accident having been clarified, the CGN now wishes to “move forward” with the Simplon, one of the flagships of its Belle Epoque fleet. The century-old steamer, as already announced, will sail again.
Benoît Gaillard announced on Friday that studies will be launched in early 2025 to assess the repairs to be undertaken on the boat which, in any case, should have been renovated. Neither the cost of the work nor the date of its return to the water are yet known.
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