Fifty-seven of her crew were swept away in the current after a premature escape attempt, 15 survivors were picked up by a boat from the "Divina" and five by the Dutch ship "Almdijk". Most of the crew survived the initial collision and managed to escape, but then perished in the freezing cold mid-winter conditions on the mud islands that litter the Thames Estuary. Sixty-four men died as a result of the collision. "Truculent" was salvaged on 14 March 1950 and beached at Cheney Spit. The wreck was moved inshore the following day, where 10 bodies were recovered. She was refloated on 23 March and towed into Sheerness Dockyard. An inquiry attributed 75% of the blame to "Truculent" and 25% to "Divina".