Nautical Mishaps, Maritime Calamities

Ships Collide in Öresund Strait

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Two freight ships collided on Friday in the Öresund strait between southern Sweden and Denmark on Friday.

A Maltese ship carrying 182 tons of raw uranium was in collision with a Norwegian registered tanker which was carrying methanol.

Mette Oehlenschlager of the National Institute of Radiation Hygiene told ATP news that there is no radiation danger.

There were no reports of oil pollution from the collision which happened on the Danish side of the strait. There have been no reported injuries.

© Copyright Sveriges Radio 2009

MMA investigates collision involving the Maltese ship Marti Princess

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:37:00 +0000

by di-ve.com - editorial@di-ve.com
Local News -- Wednesday, July 01, 2009 -- 18:50CEST

The Malta Maritime Authority with the assistance of its appointed inspector in Turkey is investigating the collision involving Malta registered motor ship Marti Princess that happened in the Aegean Sea on Saturday night.
No casualties were reported, however, as a precautionary measure, 13 crew members of the Marti Princess were evacuated upon request from the master of the ship.

The 2008-built 6,019 gross tonnage general cargo Marti Princess was involved in a collision close to the Dardanelles Straits in the early night of Saturday June, 27 with the 1994-built 14,619 GT German flagged containership Renate Schulte.

The Merchant Shipping Directorate is informed that following the collision water flooded the 2 cargo holds of the MV Marti Princess. The Marti Princess is reported to have been carrying 8,000 tonnes of bulk cement. By Tuesday evening, a salvage team was already on board the Maltese ship to assess the situation and carry out the necessary stability calculations.

No pollution has so far been reported and operations are underway to pump out the Maltese ship’s bunkers to a special barge in order to minimise the potential of any leakages. At around 10.20h Wednesday morning, both vessels were successfully separated, with no serious repercussions and the current situation being reported as stable. The salvage team is now deliberating the next task of towing the Maltese vessel to a safe area.

Since Saturday, officials from MMA’s Merchant Shipping Directorate have been in constant contact with the International Safety Managers of the Maltese general cargo ship and the appointed inspector in Turkey.

The Maltese authorities will liaise with both the local authorities and the German marine accident investigators in their investigation of the accident.

Airmen contribute to rescue effort at sea

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:14:00 +0000

Posted 6/26/2009

6/26/2009 - ROYAL AIR FORCE MILDENHALL, England (AFNS) -- An international rescue effort is underway June 26 to a ship in the Atlantic approximately 700 miles off the west coast of Ireland as a crewmember on board the container ship "Pascha" has fallen seriously ill and needs urgent medical attention.

The ship's distance from land makes it impossible for the traditional sea rescue operations to reach, and England's Rescue Coordination Center requested the assistance of the U.S. military forces based in England.

A Royal Air Force Nimrod maritime surveillance aircraft launching from RAF Kinloss in Scotland will provide coordination for the airborne effort that will include a total of four different aircraft platforms.

Two HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopters with pararescuemen from the U.S. Air Forces in Europe's 56th Rescue Squadron based out of RAF Lakenheath will perform the actual rescue.

In order to get to the rescue site, the helicopters will need to refuel en route. The aircraft refueling the helicopters are MC-130P Combat Shadows from Air Force Special Operations Command's 352nd Special Operations Group based at RAF Mildenhall. This is an aircraft specially fitted to refuel helicopters, but its range requires that it refuel mid-flight as well, for this kind of long distance flight.

The 100th Air Refueling Squadron out of RAF Mildenhall is launching a KC-135 Stratotanker to refuel the MC-130P, providing the range that is vital to this mission.

A very similar effort was dispatched employing these same units on Dec. 10, 2008, as Airmen helped retrieve a patient and got him to medical care in time.

"We're working fast with our U.K. partners to try to get to this sailor in time to help. We have some of the best-trained crews in the air right now who are intent on getting this patient stabilized and to safety," said Col. Jay Silveria, the commander of the 48th Fighter Wing. The 56th Rescue Squadron is a part of the 48th Fighter Wing.

The helicopters will take their patient to a location in Shannon, Ireland, where medical providers will be waiting to take him to a nearby hospital.

Cyprus police rescue Canadian couple

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:02:00 +0000

Pair had to abandon their sinking yacht off the island's southwestern coast after colliding with another ship and taking on water

Nicosia, Cyprus — Associated Press, Thursday, Jun. 25, 2009 09:42AM EDT

.Cyprus police say they have rescued a Canadian couple who had to abandon their sinking yacht off the island's southwestern coast.

Police spokeswoman Lefki Solomontos says the Canadians alerted Cypriot authorities early today that their eight-metre craft had begun taking on water after colliding with another ship 200 kilometres southwest of the coastal resort of Limassol.

The Canadians, in their late 50s, were picked up by a passing cargo ship. A Cypriot police helicopter later airlifted them to Paphos airport on Cyprus' southwestern coast. Solomontos said the couple are in good health and have checked into a local hotel.

The yacht had set sail from Port Said, Egypt, and was bound for Turkey.

Diver missing after searching Channel wreck

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 18:25:00 +0000

From The Times
June 24, 2009
Diver missing after searching Channel wreck
Adam Sage in Paris and Helen Nugent
A British diver was missing last night after a trip to a wreck in the English Channel went wrong.
The man, aged over 60, disappeared as his dive group resurfaced at lunchtime yesterday after exploring the wreck of the Empire Javelin, a infantry landing ship that took part in the D-Day landings and was torpedoed and sunk in December 1944.
Coastguard officials and officers from Sussex Police were preparing to interview the skipper of the ship and the remaining group members late last night after the boat returned to Brighton.
A spokesman for the Maritime & Coastguard Agency said that the search was being co-ordinated by the Regional Operation Search and Rescue Centre in Joburg, northern France, as the wreck lay in French waters.
“He was on the Channel Diver, out of Brighton, but we are not sure where he is from,” the spokesman said. “We got the call at 12.50pm just saying there was an overdue driver.”
The missing man was in a party of four searching the wreck, which is at a depth of 60m and situated 21 nautical miles from Barfleur on the Normandy Coast.
“The three others came back to the surface and he didn’t,” said a spokesman for the Maritime Prefecture in Cherbourg. The man had a rebreather, which cleans and recirculates air, and is believed to have had 90 minutes of oxygen in his tank.
After the alert was raised by the authorities in Solent, the French Civil Security dispatched a Dragon 76 helicopter with three divers. However, the spokesman said that they were unable to dive because the currents were too strong.
Two British search aircraft and a French customs helicopter took part in the search, along with five vessels sent by the French Navy and France National Sea Rescue Society.
“We placed a lot of means at the disposal of the search team because the tides are very strong and the man could have been carried a long distance if he had come up to the surface,” the spokesman said.
The search operation was stopped at 9.30pm. It will resume again this morning but the spokesman said that there was little hope that the man could survive. “He is in diving gear, which will enable him to stay in the water long, but the chances of survival now are limited,” he said.
The diver’s buddy is believed to have lost track of him as they surfaced.

Tanker with 1,800 tons of oil explodes near Vietnamese coast

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:26:00 +0000

22:0118/06/2009
MOSCOW, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - A tanker carrying about 1,800 tons of crude oil and 100 tons of diesel fuel has exploded near the Vietnamese coast and sunk, the Sovfracht Maritime Bulletin reported Thursday.

The Nhat Thuan had 23 crew members on board when the explosion occurred on Wednesday, the web publication reported, adding that 20 had been rescued and a search was underway for the three missing.

The Nhat Thuan was built in 1970 and was registered as being decommissioned. The bulletin said the tanker worked on the shelf and carried oil to large-capacity tankers.

Over 20 feared drowned after wedding boat capsizes in Pakistan

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:17:00 +0000

21:3117/06/2009
MOSCOW, June 17 (RIA Novosti) - At least eight people have drowned and over a dozen others are feared dead following the capsizing of a wedding boat in southern Pakistan, national media said on Wednesday.
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday when a boat carrying about 25 guests was returning home after a wedding. The boat overturned in a canal in Kandhkot, in the Sindh province. The bodies of six women and two children have so far been recovered, The Nation newspaper said.

Pakistan's News International said 10 people from the boat have been rescued, but other media quoted lower numbers.

Divers have been sent to the scene to help with the search. The sluice gates have been shut to minimize the water level in the canal.

The Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) said the bride and groom were among the dead.

Diving pair died after getting trapped by silt dumped by MoD

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:00:00 +0000

Photo from oldships.org.uk

From Times Online

June 17, 2009

Kaya Burgess
Two divers died while exploring Britain’s only artificial reef after clouds of silt dumped by the Ministry of Defence left them disorientated and unable to find their way out, an inquest heard today.

Kaye Moss, 43, a teacher, and David White, 42, a businessman, were on a diving trip to the HMS Scylla, a frigate scuttled 65ft underwater off the coast of Plymouth.

An inquest heard today that the pair had been exploring the vessel in 2007 when they entered a small compartment via a hatch. Inside the compartment they stirred up a cloud of silt that had collected, leaving them unable to see to find their way out before their air supply ran out.

The Type 22 (SIC) frigate was sunk in 2004 in Whitsand Bay and has claimed the lives of several divers. Contractors working for the Ministry of Defence dredge up thousands of tonnes of material each year from the nearby Devonport Naval Base and dump it near the Scylla to keep the River Tamar clear for ships.

Ian Arrow, the Plymouth Coroner, recorded verdicts of accidental death by drowning on the two divers.

A representative for the families of the divers said: “The families are keen to avoid the possibility of similar accidents. They feel representations should be made to those in charge of the maintenance of the wreck.

“They feel representations whould also be made to another body who are interested - the Ministry of Defence - who carry out dumping of dredged silt in the area, to see if anything can be done, although no fingers are being wagged at all.”

Environmental campaigners say that dredged waste from the naval base is not dispersing out to sea, but is polluting inshore waters and bays.

In his verdict, Mr Arrow said that the two divers had failed to attach a line to themselves to allow them to retrace their path.

He said: “They decided to penetrate the hull to explore it as a curious person might. They did not tie on a line and once inside the silt was stirred up and they became disorientated.

“I am satisfied they were trapped within the hull and, sadly, both remained trapped until their air ran out.”

Tributes were today paid to Mrs Kaye, a talented musician, and Mr White, a telecoms entrepreneur.

Three friends had accompanied them on the dive and surfaced but became worried when Mrs Kaye and Mr White failed to appear.

Richard Stevenson, a diving instructor, heard the group’s mayday call and dived down to find the pair trapped in the compartment with empty air tanks.

David Jenkins, who organised the trip with the South Gloucestershire sub-aqua club, said that the pair had dived as buddies and planned to go down to the outside of the wreck. He knew that the pair were possibly planning to go inside, though Glen Lindsay, the boatman who took the party out, said that he had warned them to avoid the more dangerous parts of the wreck.

Mrs Kaye and Mr White were experienced divers who had completed more than 200 dives between them including on trips to Egypt and the Indian Ocean.

Mrs Kaye was married to a police detective, Trevor Moss, and had two children. Mr White had been married to Louise for 20 years and had three children, Amy, 19, Julian, 18 and Grace, 11.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:39:00 +0000

AKTI N REFLOATED
Friday, 12 June 2009

The grounded tanker Akti N has been successfully refloated off Vlissingen in the Netherlands. The 25,654 gt Liberian-flag vessel was in ballast and attempting to turn from the Wielingen Channel onto Flushing Roads when it ran aground near the Dutch tourist attraction of Vlissingen Boulevard. Dutch firm Multraship Salvage and Belgium's URS were able to refloat the tanker without damage. Leendert Muller, managing director of Multraship, said: "Once again we can see an example of the ability of the salvage industry to respond quickly to a maritime emergency, mobilising extensive resources at short notice and working in close co-operation with the local authorities, who were on high alert because the incident occurred in a heavily populated area."

Coastguard Rescue three men from sinking speed boat

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Sun, 31 May 2009 19:29:00 +0000

Saturday 30 May 2009 19:49
Maritime And Coastguard Agency (National)

Swansea Coastguard this afternoon co-ordinated the rescue of three men from a sinking speed boat.

The boat started to sink whilst off Sand Point, just by Western-super-Mare. The Western-super-Mare Coastguard Rescue Team and both RNLI Lifeboats raced to their assistance alongside RAF Rescue Helicopter 169 from Chivenor.
David Jones Swansea Coastguard Watch Manager said:
"The gentlemen on the sinking boat phoned a relative for help, who in turned called the Police. On this occasion we were able to get help to the sinking vessel in time nevertheless, if you do need to report someone in danger on the coast you should call 999 Coastguard."

Ship sinks off Indonesia's coast, at least 7 dead

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:21:00 +0000

29 May 2009, 1319 hrs IST, AP

JAKARTA: Rescuers searched for survivors today after a wooden boat packed with Afghan migrants sank off western Indonesia, killing at least seven people and leaving more than a dozen others missing, the navy said.

Fishermen rescued more than a dozen people from the choppy waters where the boat sank yesterday in the Malacca Strait, about 30 miles (50 km) from land, said Al Muhfid, a navy second lieutenant.

The Afghan men, including several who were badly hurt, told authorities they wanted to seek political asylum in Indonesia because of the security situation in their homeland, he said. Seven were killed and at least 13 were missing, he said.

Muhfid said the migrants had flown from Afghanistan to Malaysia, where human traffickers offered to help them get by boat to Australia, where they hoped to start a new life. Their vessel sank off the coast of Sumatra early yesterday.

Indonesia is increasingly being used as a transit point for illegal migrants from war-ravaged countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. The vast seas surrounding the archipelago are treacherous, particularly during high tides in the tropical rainy season.

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Ferry fire: 500 evacuated to safety in Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:08:00 +0000

More than 500 people were evacuated in lifeboats from an Italian ferry on Friday after a fire broke out in the car hold, officials said.

Last Updated: 6:20PM BST 29 May 2009

The Vincenzo Florio, travelling from Naples to Palermo is hosed with water after fire broke out on board near the Sicilian port city of Palermo, Italy Photo: EPA
The Vincenzo Florio, travelling from Naples to Palermo, was 25 miles from the Sicilian capital when the fire broke out early on Friday.

The 526 passengers used lifeboats to reach another ferry and a Coast Guard ship that came to the rescue, said Cosimo Seminara, a port official in Palermo.

"They knocked on the door of the cabin and told us to get on deck," passenger Stefano Friscia told Sky TG 24 television. "It was hard to breathe, the whole ship filled with smoke and they ordered the lifeboats lowered."

Five passengers, including a pregnant woman, were taken to a hospital as a precaution.

The cause of the fire was still being investigated. Initially, most of the 35 crew members stayed aboard to help firefighters extinguish the blaze, Mr Seminara said.

However, the captain later ordered a complete evacuation because the flames were spreading, said Roberto Ardizzone, a spokesman for Sicily's firefighters.

The ship, which belongs to the Italian ferry company Tirrenia di Navigazione SpA, was being towed and was expected to reach Palermo later Friday.

Mr Ardizzone said the fire was still raging in the car hold and firefighters would have a better chance to stop it once the ship was in port.

Coast Guard assists sinking catamaran near Deep Creek Locks in Chesapeake, Va.

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:07:00 +0000

Date: May 28, 2009

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - A Coast Guard rescue boat crew from Station Portsmouth assisted two adults, three children and a dog aboard a catamaran taking on water near the Deep Creek Locks in Chesapeake Thursday afternoon.

The owner of the 38-foot catamaran Hull-a-balloo called watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads at approximately 11:40 a.m. stating that he was taking on approximately 200 gallons of water per minute after alliding with a log while transiting the Dismal Swamp Canal. The owner and four passengers were able to keep up with the flooding using an onboard bilge pump and hand pumps, but were unable to get all of the water out.

The 25-foot rescue boat crew arrived on scene at 12:26 p.m. and transferred two crewmembers and a gasoline-powered P-6 dewatering pump onboard the Hull-a-balloo and quickly removed the water. The Coast Guardsmen remained onboard, monitoring the crack in the hull and operating the pump as necessary, until the vessel arrived at Ocean Marine and was hauled in by dock workers there.

"When we arrived on scene all five of them were wearing their life jackets - even the dog had a life jacket," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Jones, the rescue boat crew coxswain. "It's always important to wear a life jacket out on the water, especially in a case like this, because you never know what's going to happen or what could go wrong."

Fatality after boat hits island in darkness

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:05:00 +0000

Tuesday 19 May 2009 04:22
Maritime And Coastguard Agency (National)

At 11.30 pm yesterday evening, Clyde Coastguard were alerted by members of the public to a speedboat which had gone out from Tobermory and a loud bang had been heard with a light flashing afterwards in the darkness.

Immediately the Coastguard put an emergency response into action and contacted nearby vessels to see if they could spot or hear anything on the emergency VHF Channel 16 locally.

The Coastguard were then alerted by the boat's occupants that the 6.5 metre blue rigid hulled inflatable boat had hit the north end of Calve Island, and that one of the four individuals on board was seriously injured with head injuries. He was not conscious. Two other men on board the boat were reported to have suffered minor head injuries. All of the four were on holiday in the area at the time.

The weather on scene was flat calm and some light rain.

All of the men on board were wearing dry suits but no lifejackets. The vessel was by this time on rocks in Tobermory Bay and had lost all electrics. No other vessel could be seen around them. A rescue helicopter - R177 - from the Royal Naval Air Station at Prestwick was scrambled and the Tobermory lifeboat was also requested to launch. The Tobermory Coastguard Rescue Team were also sent to the area.

The Coastguard then instructed the boats occupants to use a torch to shine towards lifeboat to direct them onto the wrecked boat. An ambulance had also been directed towards the lifeboat station. All of the men were then brought ashore by lifeboat.

Once ashore, paramedics and a doctor continued to work on the middle aged man but to no avail, and he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

The remaining men were taken by ambulance to hospital on Mull for further treatment.

Tarilk Yassin, Watch Manager at Clyde Coastguard said

"The Police have been informed and are currently on scene investigating the incident."

Fishing vessel sinks off Sound of Harris

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:34:00 +0000

Wednesday 13 May 2009 19:02
Maritime And Coastguard Agency (National)

Stornoway Coastguard Rescue Helicopter went to assist a sinking fishing vessel this afternoon and while deploying a pump from the helicopter both the fisherman and the winchman both went in the water as the vessel sank under them.

At 4.39pm Stornoway Coastguard was contacted by the skipper of a near by fishing vessel Phoenix reporting that the 11 metre fishing vessel Kalahari was sinking. Stornoway Coastguard immediately sent the Coastguard Rescue helicopter to the scene with pumping equipment.

The winchman from the Coastguard Rescue helicopter went down onto the deck of Kalahari with the Coastguard pump but unfortunately they were not able to control the ingress of water and the vessel has sunk.

The fisherman and winchman were taken back into the helicopter and returned to Stornoway where the casualty can be assessed for hypothermia at the Western Isles Hospital.

Stornoway Coastguard Rescue Helicopter has been scrambled twice today and this now pushes the total number of search and rescue missions for the helicopter above 3,000 missions.

Yacht calls for assistance from Falmouth Coastguard mid Atlantic in very heavy weather

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Sun, 03 May 2009 00:19:00 +0000

London, 1 May/GNN/ --

MARITIME AND COASTGUARD AGENCY News Release (Duty Notice 1) issued by COI
News Distribution Service on 1 May 2009
In the very early hours of this morning, Falmouth Coastguard received an
emergency call from the yacht 'Fleur' which, in very poor conditions, had
suffered a partial knockdown with three men on board heading for Nuuk in
Greenland from Falmouth.

They had left Cornwall on the 21st of April and they are around 800 miles
from Greenland at present.

Their estimated date of arrival was the 5th May and the vessel is described
as a 40 foot Island Packet 380 cutter with a UK registered Emergency Position
Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB).

The call indicated that they had lost all their instrumentation but still
had a hand held global positioning device and paper charts.

The crew skipper had taken a knock to his head, and they reported that they had
a liferaft and two satellite phones on board. They also had flares on board.

They described the weather as very rough with Force 11 winds, with average
speeds of above 60 knots, and waves of between 20 and 30 feet.

Initially it was agreed that contact every three hours between the vessel
and Falmouth would be maintained.

During the next early morning call, the skipper indicated he was very tired
having had only two hours sleep and that the vessel had lost its spray hood. A
weather forecast of the area was then supplied. They then suffered a further
knock down.

The crew indicated at that time that their intentions were to sit out the
bad weather and then head back east towards Ireland.

By mid morning today the crew reported that the vessel had had superficial
damage and had suffered a small amount of water ingress, but that their mast
was still intact.

By midday however on the next call after suffering further knockdowns the
skipper indicated that he had had enough and wished to abandon the vessel
with his crew.

Falmouth then began to search for other vessels that would have been able
to come to their assistance and also various rescue helicopter ranges as the
vessel was at that point still over 300 nautical miles west of the Irish coast.

The Irish Coastguard which had been contacted earlier alerting them to the
plight of the crew offered a fixed wing aircraft to go to the position of
the 'Fleur' whilst other vessels including a tanker `Yellowstone' contacted
Falmouth offering assistance, although none were in close proximity to the
distressed yacht at that time.

The offer from the tanker was accepted and co-ordinates were given to the
Master where to rendezvous with the yacht.

By 5.30 pm this evening the tanker 'Yellowstone' was 19 nautical miles away
from the yacht and had managed to make contact with them via VHF radio and
the Irish fixed wing aircraft who had been monitoring the situation overhead
and in contact via the air rescue co-ordination centre at Kinloss was released
with grateful thanks.

The tanker `Yellowstone' is due on scene with the yacht `Fleur' around 9.00
pm this evening.

The crews shore side contacts have been made aware of the developing situation.

Andy Cattrell, Falmouth Coastguard Watch Manager said

"We are respecting the wishes of the skipper and his crew to come off their
damaged yacht. These are likely to be a very difficult manoeuvresand we
will offer every practical help we can, but from this distance it will be
the seamanship of both the Master and yacht crew that will be crucial in
this lifesaving action in very heavy seas."

Dyvi Pacific Capsizing Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 19:31:00 +0000

From Lloyds List

Dyvi Pacific

London, Apr 27 -- Vehicle carrier Dyvi Pacific (60,000 gt), being constructed at Samjin Shipbuilding Indutries yard in Weihai, China, has capsized and sunk during sea trials. Vessel struck rocks before sinking and is lying 10 metres underwater.

Coast Guard Responds To Distressed Sailing Vessel North of Morro Bay

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Date: 26 April 2006

(update)

MORRO BAY, Calif. -- One of the 47-foot motor life boats that responded to the distress call from the sailing vessel Ingomar, 13 miles north of Morro Bay, Calif., has taken the crew off the vessel and has returned to Morro Bay.

The Coast Guard received the initial report of the distress at about 4 p.m. and immediately sent two 47-foot motor life boats from Station Morro Bay and an HH-65C Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Los Angeles. The crew of the rescue boats used dewatering pumps in an attempt to remove the water from the vessel. The helicopter delivered an additional pump to the crews.

The pumps could not keep up with the amount of water entering the boat, and the crew requested to be taken to land.

The remaining 47-footer is staying on scene with the sinking vessel.

Red flares prompt large scale search in orkney

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 04:56:00 +0000

Sunday 26 April 2009 01:25
Maritime And Coastguard Agency (National)

At twenty past nine this evening Shetland Coastguard were contacted by several members of the public informing them that they had seen multiple red flares being released in the Kirkwall Bay area from the direction of Shapinsay on the Orkney Islands.

Shetland Coastguard tasked the Kirkwall Coastguard Rescue Team to meet the first informant to ascertain the location and direction of the flares. They identified an area between Carness and String, and a major search has now been launched, involving Coastguard Rescue Teams from Kirkwall and Stromness, as well as Orkney Coastguard Sector Manager, the Coastguard Emergency Towing Vessel 'Anglian Earl', Coastguard Rescue Helicopter 102 and Kirkwall RNLI All Weather Lifeboat.

Shetland Coastguard Watch Manager Kathy Grant said:

"We have now launched a major search operation involving a large number of resources including Coastguard teams performing a land based search, our Coastguard Emergency Towing Vessel searching out at sea, and the Coastguard Helicopter scrambled from Sumburgh to cover the search area from above.

We have also issued a Pan Pan broadcast to all vessels in the area asking them to report any flare sightings to us, and also to keep a sharp lookout. Following this broadcast, the Northlink Passenger ferry "Hjaltland" as well as the Ocean Explorer have also joined the search and we are extremely grateful for their assistance.

This search is still ongoing at this time."

Russian trawler sinks off Norway coast, captain dies

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 19:15:00 +0000

17:33 | 24/ 04/ 2009

MURMANSK, April 24 (RIA Novosti) - The captain of a Russian fishing boat died on Friday after being rescued along with the rest of his crew after their trawler sank in the Barents Sea near Norway's northern coast, Russian officials said.

A Russian fishing industry official said the Koralnes, part of the Sevrybkom-1 company fleet, sank shortly after sending a distress signal at about 9:20 a.m. Moscow time (05:20 GMT). Fifteen crewmembers drifted in an inflatable raft until another Russian trawler picked them up, while two men spent sometime in the arctic water.

"A Russian trawler rescued 15 Koralnes crewmembers from a raft, while a Norwegian rescue helicopter picked up the ship's captain and senior mechanic from the water," Sergei Vaganov said.

Norwegian police said one of the two sailors, who were transported by a Sea Hawk helicopter to a hospital in the Norwegian city of Tromsoe, died from hypothermia.

Another Russian official later confirmed that the captain of the ship had unexpectedly died in the hospital, despite arriving in a stable condition.

Alexander Savelyev, a spokesman for the Russian Federal Agency for Fishery, said that in his opinion the cause of the tragedy was the poor state of the vessel, which was built in 1987, and complacency on the part of the ship's owner.

"This 'second-hand'...vessel had no watertight bulkheads and it took on water within seven minutes," he said.

He also said that another reason for the tragedy was the inattentiveness of the Sevrybkom-1 company to the technical state of its ships.

"This is complacency from the owner of the ship with regard to safety... He is more worried about his pocket than the people who are earning this money for him," Savelyev added.

He added that 70% of the Russian fishing fleet was in a critical condition.

Coast Guard suspends search for missing cruise ship passenger near Bahamas

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 03:17:00 +0000

Date: April 19, 2009

MIAMI -- The Coast Guard suspended its search at 8 p.m. Saturday for a missing cruise ship passenger who reportedly went overboard about 60 miles north of Nassau, Bahamas.

The Coast Guard searched an area of nearly 590 square miles for the 39-year-old man who reportedly went overboard from the cruise ship Norwegian Sky around 3 a.m. Saturday. The Norwegian Sky departed Friday from Miami for a three-day cruise and was traveling to its first port of call in Nassau.

Norwegian Sky crewmembers contacted the Coast Guard for assistance around 4 a.m. Saturday.

Search and rescue coordinators at the Seventh Coast Guard District in Miami launched an HU-25 Falcon jet crew and an HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami, as well as an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC) on Andros Island, Bahamas, to begin search efforts.

Also assisting in the search were:

The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF)
The Royal Caribbean Monarch of the Seas cruise ship crew
The Norwegian Pearl cruise ship crew
Disney cruise line smallboat crews

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 17:31:00 +0000

ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Recovery personnel work on the grounded fishing vessel Mar-Gun April 11, 2009, despite heavy icing. The Mar-Gun grounded March 5 of St. George Island in the Bering Sea. No one was injured. Response crews removed the majority of the diesel and lube oil on board. The recovery crew is preparing the vessel to be pulled from the beach and towed to port. (Coast Guard photo/Sector Anchorage)

Two sailors missing after Taiwanese boat sank near Diaoyu Islands

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 16:58:00 +0000

www.chinaview.cn 2009-04-17 19:19:50 Print

TAIPEI, April 17 (Xinhua) -- Two people are missing after a Taiwanese fishing boat sank early Friday morning after a seemingly collision with a cargo ship off the seas of the Diaoyu Islands, local media reported.

There were 13 people on board the boat when the accident occurred at around 12:30 a.m. about 20 nautical miles(about 37 km) northwest of the Diaoyu Islands, according to the reports.

Two nearby fishing boats went to the site of the accident and rescued 11 crewmen, but the captain and the chief engineer are still missing.

It was supposed that the fishing boat, Hsin Tung Chung No. 82, was sunk by a cargo vessel from Panama or Norway.

Coast guard authorities from Taiwan and Japan are searching for the two crewmen.

China claims sovereignty over the Diaoyu Islands and adjacent islets, saying they have been Chinese territories since ancient times. The uninhabited islets in the East China Sea are also claimed by Japan.

Yacht Crew with Severely Cracked Hull calls for Help from Clyde Coastguard

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:23:00 +0000

Thursday 16 April 2009 22:59
Maritime And Coastguard Agency (National)

Clyde Coastguard have this evening been coordinating the rescue of five individuals from the yacht `Ariadne' which reported that she had a split hull and was taking water off the Heads of Ayr, near Troon on the east coast of Scotland.

The Ayr Coastguard Rescue Team were immediately sent to the area and the Troon all weather and inshore lifeboats were requested to launch. A rescue helicopter from Prestwick was also scrambled.

The 40 foot yacht, a blue striped, white hulled vessel was heading north to Troon at the time, and reporting that she had 1 foot of water in the hull at the time. The people on board were baling water as fast as they could but were unable to reduce the inflow. Their sails were down and they were attempting to motor to the nearest port. The Coastguard requested any nearby vessels to go and investigate and offer assistance if they could.

By about 7.45 this evening the Troon RNLI lifeboat crew had taken four people off the yacht and put two of their own crew aboard complete with a pump. A rescue helicopter winchman was also airlifted on to the yacht as there was a report of a man in distress on board.. The winchman decided to stay with the vessel and not winch the yacht crew member aboard the aircraft as he was suffering from high blood pressure. However a request was made for paramedics and an ambulance to be waiting upon the yachts arrival in the harbour.

The Marina authorities were also contacted and they made ready to hoist the vessel out of the water as soon as it arrived to prevent the yacht from sinking.

By 8.15 this evening the yacht had made it into the harbour and was immediately lifted from the water for a further closer inspection tomorrow and the shaken man was being seen by paramedics at the scene.

George Freeburn, Watch Manager at Clyde Coastguard said

"This was a close run thing. Reports from the lifeboat crew indicated that there was a severe crack in the hull and the rescue pump was just about coping with the ingress of water as the yacht came into Troon at about 3 knots under escort. They also lost their communications en route as well.

"I'd very much like to thank everyone who took part in this rescue tonight, particularly the RNLI lifeboat crew, who very ably took charge when they reached the clearly distressed people on board the yacht. And also the crew of rescue helicopter R177 who were able to assist, and I am sure that the crew of the yacht were mightily relieved to see the familiar sight of these rescue units approaching them as fast as they could."

12 fishermen missing after boat capsizes, sinks in E. China Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Dave Shirlaw) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 18:30:00 +0000

NAGASAKI, April 14 KYODO

Twelve of the 22 crewmembers aboard a Japanese fishing boat went missing Tuesday after the boat capsized and sank off Hirado Island, Nagasaki Prefecture, just west of Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, the Japan Coast Guard said.
The remaining 10 crew members were rescued by other fishing boats, coast guard officials said.