The Cadet Ann Tessa Joseph, a resident of Thrissur, Kerala, who was a crew member of the 'MSC Aries', seized by Iran on April 13, has been released and landed at the Cochin Airport on April 18. The mssion of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs in Tehran was in contact with 16 other Indian crew members still on board the vessel, who were in good health and in contact with their families in India. The Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar recently spoke to his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amirabdollahian, to request the release of the Indian crew members.
News
SALVAMAR ADHARA
The 'Salvamar Adhara' was mobilized to assist a canoe that was sailing 3.5 nautical miles from the coast with 80 sub-Saharan people on board, among them four women and three minors. The response was coordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. The boat was escorted to the port of La Restinga (El Hierro), where the migrants safely disembarked. Report with photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1780901443584553138
SALVAMAR REGULUS
The boat 'Bismarck II' was adrift in Os Brullos due to an engine failure on April 18, 2024. The 'Salvamar Regulus' was mobilized by the CCS Fisterra of Salvamento Marítimo to assist. It took the boat in tow and sefely pulled it to Porto do Son.
SCOT PIONEER
A leaked radio exchange between an the captain of the 'Scot Pioneer' and the French Coastguard exposed France's infuriating response to the small boats crisis. The captain was outraged after he spotted French navy vessels, including a warship, guiding the traffickers' boats around his ship towards Britain and blocked the 'Scot Pioneer' from entering Dunkirk harbour. The captain begins his protest by radioing the French coastguard with the words: 'I would like to report what is an illegal operation in your waters. This morning we witnessed a French government vessel and a French navy warship escort a boat-load of illegal immigrants across the Channel to the midway point where they handed them over to another [Border Force] ship out of Dover. It has now arrived there. Now I have the French warship passing under my stern, passing another boat-load of immigrants across the Channel. There is also another [French] vessel to the west of us which is escorting a third boat of migrants." In response, the Coastguard informed him that there was an 'arrangement' between the London and Paris governments for the French navy to escort migrant boats towards Britain.
BONGAWAN 9
On April 14, 2024, at 10.20 a.m. four perpetrators boarded the 'Bongawan 9' along with the barge 'Hexagro 9' in pos. 1° 20.93' N 104° 21.08' E off Tanjung Penyusop. The pirates stole scrap metals from the barge.
PHILAUVENT
On April 17, 2024, at 8 a.m. Salvamento Marítimo was alerted after the skipper of the 'JPK 960 Philauvent-Passecoque', the 63 year old veteranian Philippe Benoiton, whio was participatin in the 'Saliling Race Cap Martinique', and had left from La Trinité-sur-Mer (France) bound for Fort-de-France (Martinique). He went missing west of Cape Finisterre in strong northwestern winds in the night of April 16. The regatta coordinator informed that they had no news of a participating sailboat, with a reduced course and speed as they were able to discover from its GPS. They couldn't contact him. The double-handed competitors Yann Gindre and Michel Foucart aboard the 'L'Opale - A Chacun son Everest' finally found the yacht,at 7:40 a.m., without being able to confirm the sailor's presence aboard. The CCS Fisterra coordinated the SAR operation with the 'Don Inda' and the helicopters Helimer 401, Helimer 402,Pesca 1 and the Sasemar 102 plane. At 9.19 a.m. the auxiliary boat of the 'Don Inda' located the sailboat and verified that the single crew member was not on board. The engine was running and the tiller was broken. The yacht was towed to the Cee Port in A Coruña. The body of the missing person was located five nautical miles southwest of Cabo Fisterra by the Pesca I helicopter. it waa recovered and transoorted to the Vigo airport, where the National Police was waiting. The response was coordinated by the RCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Fisterra. Reports with photos: https://www.elidealgallego.com/articulo/a-coruna/helimer-coruna-une-busqueda-regatista-desaparecido-alta-mar-4799426 https://www.boatnews.com/story/45745/cap-martinique-transatlantic-race-mourns-death-of-competitor
PLOTOVOD-687
On April 17, 2024, the cargo m/v 'Volgo Don 5051' (IMO: 8943179) was in collision with the 'Plotovod 687' on the Volga near Bereznyakovsky Island in the Saratov region, Voskresensky district. There were no injuries as a result of the collision, nor was there any fuel spillage. The 'Volgo Don 5051' suffered significant bow damage above the water line, when it hit the other ship at its side, which was breached on its whole height, causing water ingress in the cargo hold are. The Western Interregional Transport Administration launched an investigation. Report with photos: https://sarinform.ru/news/incident/na-volge-v-saratovskoy-oblasti-stolknulis-barzha-i-teplohod?amp
SALVAMAR LIBERTAS
The Spanish flagged Fishing vessel 'Hermanos Gonzalez' requested assistance after it went adrift due to mechanical problems in El Arenal with two crew members on board on April 18, 2024. The CCS Palma of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Libertas' to assist. It took the ship in tow and safely pulled it to Palma.
JOHN P BOBO
The USNS '2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (T-AK 3008)' which was deployed to support the mission of building a pier to deliver aid to starving residents in Gaza, was forced to turn back on April 11, 2024, after it suffered a fire in its engine room, while in transit to the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The crew evacuated the area and used portable extinguishers to put out the fire. The ship had to return to Jacksonville, Florida, using just one engine for further assessments. The incident came as the Pentagon's self-imposed deadline of having the pier operational and delivering the needed aid by May rapidly approached. When the Pentagon first announced the plan to use the Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS, platform to construct the pier that would serve as a way to quickly deliver large amounts of aid to war-torn Gaza in early March, it was hoped the pier would be operational in the next 60 days. Shortly after that announcement, a group of five Army ships left for the Mediterranean, followed by the m/v 'Roy P. Benavidez', a military sealift command vessel that was carrying heavy equipment and material needed to construct a temporary pier. In late March, the Navy said that it would deploy Naval Beach Group 1 along with the Bobo and the USNS '1st Lt. Baldomero Lopez'. The unit and the ships would bring enough watercraft and equipment to operate a huge floating dock three miles off the coast of Gaza that would serve as the off-load point for aid. One of the Army Landing Craft Utility ships, the 'Wilson Wharf', seems to be stuck in Tenerife, the Army's Logistics Support Vessel 'General Frank S. Besson' spent a week in the Azores before finally making it to the Navy's base at Souda Bay, which may indicate the ship had an engineering issue.
ERA STAR
On March 3, 2024, at 03.45 a.m. the 'Era Staro was boarded by 8-10 perpetrators, armed iwht long knives, at the Hiron Pilot Station, Mongla, in pos. 21° 50.93' N 89° 31.82' E. They stole heave lines and messenger lines. The ship left Mongla again on April 1 and anchored off the port.
MAERSK CHATTOGRAM
On April 8, 2024, at 12.45 a.m. the 'Maersk Chattogram' was boarded by ttwo perpetrators on the Chattogram Outer Anchorage in pos. 21° 91' N 91° 7' E. The pirates stole paint, a safety chain, brass fire hgydrant caps and fire hoses. The ship left Chittagong on April 12 en route to Mongla.
YING SHENG
Beached at CHittagong 29.12.23 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10160173488355036&set=pcb.10162954469523943
VOLGO-DON 5051
On April 17, 2024, the 'Volgo Don 5051' was in collision with the barge 'Plotovod 687' (MMSI: 273347460) on the Volga near Bereznyakovsky Island in the Saratov region, Voskresensky district. There were no injuries as a result of the collision, nor was there any fuel spillage. The 'Volgo Don 5051' suffered significant bow damage above the water line, when it hit the other ship at its side, which was breached on its whole height, causing water ingress in the cargo hold are. The Western Interregional Transport Administration launched an investigation. Report with photos: https://sarinform.ru/news/incident/na-volge-v-saratovskoy-oblasti-stolknulis-barzha-i-teplohod?amp
SALVAMAR ALPHERATZ
The charter boat 'Santa Rita' suffered engine problems near the port of Los Cristianos on April 18. The 'Salvamar Alpheratz' was mobilized by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo to assist. It took the boat in tow and safely pulled it to port.
RNLI LIFEBOAT 13-03
Three fishermen were rescued after their vessel sank off Devon's coast on April 16, 2024. RNLI teams from Exmouth and Torbay were requiested at 9.32 p.m. by the HM Coastguard after having received an urgent mayday call, stating: "fishing vessel sinking". This report was quickly followed by a 999 call confirming that all three crew had taken to the vessel's life raft. Within 12 minutes, both the 'R & J Welburn' from Exmouth and Torbay's Severn Class all-weather lifeboat were on their way to the scene. Additionally, an HM Coastguard's rescue helicopter was also tasked to join the effort. The HM Coastguard secured the location of the sunken vessel using its emergency positioning beacon, pinpointing it roughly 14 miles northeast from Berry Head. The Exmouth's crew were the first to arrive on the scene and recovered all three fishermen from their life raft. Despite being cold, none required further medical assistance. All three casualties were then safely transferred to the waiting Torbay lifeboat and brought back to Brixham, where they were met and collected by their waiting families. Report with photos: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/three-fishermen-forced-life-raft-140714624.html
CASANOVA
On April 14, 2024, tat 02.47 a.m. he 'Casanova', en route from Liuheng to Son Duong, was boarded by five perpetrators, armed with pistols, in pos. 1° 4.47' N 103° 40.72' E, at the Takong Kecil Light. Nothing was reported stolen. The ship arrived in the port of destination on April 18 at 2.10 a.m. uTC.