Ship's crew poisoned on the Great Lakes

[Magogman]

There have been several unusual events effecting shipping on the Great Lakes this December as this month has been unusually cold.  There have been several instances of ships being stuck in the ice on the connectors between the lakes, a few groundings and so on.  The strangest incidence was the poisoning on the crew of the Hermann Schoenig.  Carrying 19,000 tons of corn destined for Algeria, the ship anchored off Port Colborne, Ontario and radioed for help for the sick crew, a few dozen Chinese citizens.  Taken to a nearby hospital, at first their illness was a mystery.  Eventually it was determined that phosphine gas seeped from the hold into the living quarters of the ship, inflicting a potentially fatal illness on the crew.  The gas came from an anti rodent treatment of the corn. After the crew's health improved the ship was allowed to continue down the lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway, stopping at Montreal.  During this voyage the windows in the accommodation section were open.  With temperatures well below freezing, the crew did not have winter clothing and it was difficult for them to stay warm.  In Montreal the crew was examined for a second time at a hospital and were given warm clothing as well as Christmas presents. The incident is still under investigation by Canadian officials.  Certainly this is one of the stranger incidents to happen on the Great Lakes in some years.  Published reports indicate had the ship not sought assistance when it did, fatalities could have occurred with continued exposure to the gas.  The Pilots, required of all salt water ships transiting the Great Lakes, were the ones to sound the alarm.

[owen connolly]

I would not be happy eating the corn knowing that the fumes from it alone could be toxic  ,

[Jeff Thoreson]

I would not be happy eating the corn knowing that the fumes from it alone could be toxic  ,

That's true. Especially knowing that this gas apparently had to have gotten wet inside the cargo hold.

[mooringman]

It is an usual thing that a cargo of grain will be have a treatment with a special gas against bugs and other animals on a long trip over the ocean.But the gas should be only in the hatch and not in the accomodation.Somebody made a mistake!

[Magogman]

I am not chemist (I did get tear gassed a few times in my illustrious but short military duty!)but according to a report on www.boatnerd.com, the Great Lakes shipping site, phosphorous pellets were used to fumigate the corn and somehow the pellets became moist and thus started giving off phosphine gas that somehow got into the ship's ventilation system and thus poisoned the crew.  From reading the reports, which are far from conclusive it is not clear how the gas got into the ventilation system.  Almost sounds like a Hollywood movie.