Remains recovered from
oil tanker Insiko

They are likely those of Nian Gi Hui,
who died in a fire on the ship

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By Nelson Daranciang
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com

Specialists from the U.S. Army's Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii recovered yesterday what is believed to be the remains of the crew member who died in a fire aboard the Indonesian oil tanker Insiko 1907.

The charred bones were then turned over to the Honolulu medical examiner for identification.

"They were found in a corner of the engine room," said Petty Officer Erica Ryan, U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman.

Workers for Pacific Environmental Co. found the bones after pumping out six feet of oily water from the engine room, Ryan said.

The remains eventually will be cremated here, then sent home, said Skip Howard of Transmarine Navigation Corp., which represents the agent in Taiwan who supplied the crew.

Howard said he has received offers to cremate the remains for free.

"There have been two offers, and we'll probably take one of them up on that," he said.

The bones are believed to be those of Nian Gi Hui of the People's Republic of China. He was the Insiko's engine room oiler.

The Insiko and its most notable passenger, Hok Get, a 2-year-old mixed terrier left alone on board for 24 days, arrived in Hawaii on May 1 after the Coast Guard contracted the tug American Quest to tow the disabled vessel into Honolulu Harbor.

The Coast Guard stepped in because the vessel, laden with an diesel and other petroleum products, was drifting toward Johnston Island, posing an environmental hazard.

By Wednesday, PENCO had pumped out 26,947 gallons of diesel and 40,644 gallons of oily water. The company plans to recycle the diesel and treat the oily water for disposal.

The cost of the towing and cleanup so far is $264,000, Ryan said, and there is still more diesel and oily water on the Insiko.

After the cleanup is completed, the Coast Guard plans to sink the vessel in deep water just south of Oahu.

The Insiko's captain said a fire in the engine room on March 13 knocked out the ship's power and communications.

Nian was killed, and another crew member received burns over 50 percent of his body.

The remaining 11 crew members drifted aboard the disabled vessel for nearly three weeks until they were rescued by the cruise ship Norwegian Star on April 2.

However, the captain left his pet, Hok Get, behind.

The Hawaiian Humane Society spent about $50,000 in unsuccessful attempts to locate and rescue Hok Get over the next couple of weeks.