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News
INVESTIGATOR
The 'Investigator' has located the steamship SS 'Nemesis', which sank in July 1904 while transporting coal to Melbourne in a powerful storm. All 32 people on board were considered lost, and in the weeks that followed, the bodies of crew members and debris from the ship washed ashore. The wreck was initially spotted when searching for sunken shipping containers. In 2022, a remote sensing company called Subsea Professional Marine was trying to find cargo boxes lost off the coast of Sydney when it came across the shipwreck by chance. The vessel, which could not be officially identified at the time, was about 16 miles offshore and 525 feet deep. Government officials suspected the wreck might be the SS 'Nemesis', but it wasn't officially confirmed until September 2023 when CSIRO, Australia's national science agency, was able to capture underwater imagery that definitively showed the distinctive features of the steamship. The 'Investigator' used advanced multibeam echosounders to map the wreck site and underwater cameras to obtain high-resolution images of the vessel. They showed the severely damaged vessel resting upright on a sand plain. Some key structures were still intact and identifiable, including two of the ship's anchors lying on the seafloor. After an up-close survey of the shipwreck, officials also pinpointed what likely happened to the vessel. They determined that when the SS 'Nemesis' was hit by large wave off the coast of Wollongong, the engine was overwhelmed and the ship sank too quickly for life boats to be deployed. Government officials were now committed to finding family members of the Australian, British and Canadian crew members who went down with the 1,393-ton ship. About half of the crew on the British-built ship were from the U.K., including the captain, Alex Lusher, chief mate, T.A. Renaut, and second mate, W.D. Stein. The video imagery collected by CSIRO will now be stitched together to create a 3D model of the wreck for further investigation. The announcement of the wreck's discovery came just a month after researchers found the wreck of the the 'Blythe Star', a coastal freighter that sank half a century ago off the coast of Australia. The 10 crew members on board escaped from the ship before it sank, but three died before rescuers found the crew two weeks after the sinking. Report with photos: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shipwreck-ss-nemesis-1904-found-off-australia-120-year-old-mystery-solved/
HABLEANY
The municipal court of Budapest has made a landmark decision, mandating a combined compensation of 1.8 billion forints (approximately EUR 4.6 million) to the families affected by the collision of the Viking Sigyn' and the 'Hableany' on the River Danube on May 29, 2019. The ruling benefits 78 family members of the 27 victims. Following the tragedy, legal battles ensued, putting the spotlight on the responsibilities of the Viking River Cruises AG and Panoráma Deck Kft as operator of the 'Hableany'. After years of investigations and court hearings, the Budapest municipal court's decision to award substantial compensation marked a significant milestone for the victims' families, emphasizing the accountability of the operators involved and also setting a precedent for the handling of similar incidents in the future. The court has provided a 15-day window for the involved parties to appeal against the decision, a critical period that could potentially alter the course of the compensation process.
BALMORAL
A diarrhoea outbreak aboard the 'Balmoral' caused a sailing from Southampton, UK, to Newcastle, the operator Fred Olsen had been offering for a discounted price of £99, to be cancelled, following reported cases of gastro-related illness on board. The ship was due to set sail in the evening of Feb 28, 2024, but the sailing was cancelled at lunchtime after it returned from a two-week voyage to see the Northern Lights in Norway with numerous passengers suffering from stomach problems. Olsen would now have to conduct a deep clean of the ship, causing delays to the planned departure time on this short cruise.
VIKING GLORY
The Viking Line has announced that it has discovered elevated levels of legionella bacteria in two pools in the spa section of the 'Viking Glory'. he Institute for Health and Welfare THL was not aware of anyone on the ship being infected. The elevated values were discovered during a routine test, and the ship operated as normal between Turku, Åland and Stockholm. For safety reasons, the spa of the 'Viking Glory' has been closed and cleaning was underway. It will take at least a week before the spa can be opened again. The pools have been emptied and were cleaned daily, and investigations were started how a bacteria like this could have ended up in the water system. Further control samples must be carried out before the spa can be reopened.
SUKHOTHAI
The Joint U.S. and Thai Navy forces dismantled and raised three starboard torpedo tubes on Feb 28, the seventh day of the 20-day operation. Participating in the operation off Prachuap Khiri Khan were the HTMS 'Rattanakosin (FSG-441)', which is of the same type as the US-built Ratanakosin-class corvette that sank, the mine hunter HTMS 'Bang Rachan (MHC-631)', the Thai Navy landing craft HTMS 'Mannai (LCU-783)' and the US Navy tug 'Ocean Valor'. Report with photo: https://www.wochenblitz.com/news/3-steuerbord-torpedorohre-vom-gesunkenen-schiff-geborgen?utm_content=cmp-true
ABEILLE NORMANDIE
On Feb 28, 2024, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that several migrant boats were in difficulty off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. In the morning, a boat departed from the Wissant sector. The 'Abeille Normandie' was deployed to ensure that this boat does not require assistance. Once in the area, no specific report was made by the people on board of this boat, and it continued its journey. Around 10:30 a.m., a second boat nearby was reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez being in difficulty and requesting assistance. The CROSS deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to assist. The crew rescued the 55 people on board, who were then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. At around 11:15 a.m., the police launch 'Eulimène' was engaged on the first boat to ensure that assistance was still not necessary. The boat continued its journey without making any particular request. Later, the 'Seine' of the French Navy took over the task to monitor the boat. Around noon, the migrants on board asked to be rescued. The 'Seine' took on board 56 people. Once the rescue was completedat around 1:20 p.m., the crew of the 'Seine' was informed that three people had fallen into the sea earlier in the day during the attempted crossing. The 'Seine' then began searching and saw a body drifting in the water. The CROSS Gris-Nez simultaneously deployed a Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy and the patrol boat 'Flamant' to try to find other possible people in the water. Once in the area, the Dauphin helicopter located three people adrift, one of whom was already submerged. With instructions from the helicopter, the 'Seine' found and recovered a first person, unconscious, who could not be resuscitated on board and was declared dead at the dock. During the search, weather conditions deteriorated in the area and made investigations difficult. The two other people reported could not be found. After the area hwas fully investigated, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea decided to interrupt the search. In the late afternoon, the 'Seine' docked at the port of Calais where the migrants were taken care of by the rescue services. An investigation was opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office. Report with photo: https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/bilan-des-operations-de-recherches-et-de-sauvetage-dans-le-detroit-du-pas-de-calais-62
CAPE FLATTERY
Broken up at Brownsville 14/10/23 https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10226310068317980&set=pcb.10162865531778943
MV MESSIAH 1
The OPDS has arrested two vessels with over 500 tons of oil in the Rivers state with 17 crew members on board. They were arrested by the men of the Joint Task Force at the Onne seaport in Rivers State two weeks after uncovering 14 illegal refineries in Ataba Island. The 'King James' with more than 400 tons of Automotive Gas Oil on board was arrested for lacking proper documentation and approval, as well as the 'Messiah I' with more than 100 tons of AGO on board. The Nigerian Navy ship 'Pathfinder' will conduct further investigation into the matter before both vessels will be handed over for prosecution.
VIKING SIGYN
The municipal court of Budapest has made a landmark decision, mandating a combined compensation of 1.8 billion forints (approximately EUR 4.6 million) to the families affected by the collision of the Viking Sigyn' and the 'Hableany' on the River Danube on May 29, 2019. The ruling benefits 78 family members of the 27 victims. Following the tragedy, legal battles ensued, putting the spotlight on the responsibilities of the Viking River Cruises AG and Panoráma Deck Kft as operator of the 'Hableany'. After years of investigations and court hearings, the Budapest municipal court's decision to award substantial compensation marked a significant milestone for the victims' families, emphasizing the accountability of the operators involved and also setting a precedent for the handling of similar incidents in the future. The court has provided a 15-day window for the involved parties to appeal against the decision, a critical period that could potentially alter the course of the compensation process.
SILVER NOVA
The Brazilian Coast Guard carried out the medical evacuation of a crew member of the 'Silver Nova' after he sustained serious injuries sustained during elevator maintenance on Feb 24, 2024. In an attempt to help the injured crew member, the ship asked for volunteers with type O blood to donate at the medical center. In response to the medical emergency, the ship changed course to approach a port where the injured could receive proper medical care. The captain requested the Brazilian Coast Guard to transport the victim to a hospital. He then underwent a five-hour surgical procedure and was currently in critical but stable condition receiving intensive care in the ICU.
ASSO VENTOTTO
The Court of Cassation, the highest Italian court in Rome, has sentenced Giuseppe Sotgiu, the captain of the “Asso Ventotto”, to one year in prison because he rescued a total of 101 refugees from distress at sea on July 30, 2018 and then handed them over to the Libyan Coastguard. They were then brought back to Libya. Among them were children and pregnant women. The Court of Cassation considered this to be a criminal abandonment of vulnerable people seeking protection. The captain failed to check whether the people wanted to apply for asylum. The crew of the ship had discovered a dinghy floating in international waters around 105 kilometers off the Libyan coast. The captain and the ship's owner Augusta Offshore claimed in court that they then contacted the MRCC in Rome and Tripoli. However, this could not be proven. The “Asso Ventotto” sails under the Italian flag, which is why the government in Rome is responsible for investigations and prosecution. This jurisdiction also applies if a ship like the “Asso Ventotto” is sailing within the Libyan SAR zone, as regulated by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The judge's verdict against the captain of the "Asso Ventotto" was dated Feb 1, 2024. With the ruling, the Court of Cassation confirmed two previous decisions of the Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal of Naples. They had imposed prison sentences on the captain in the first and second instances for improper behaviour and failure to involve maritime emergency control centers. The Spanish civil rescue organization Open Arms had discovered the pushback by the “Asso Ventotto”, which made the investigation by the Italian public prosecutor’s office possible.
FGS HESSEN
The “Hessen” unknowingly shot at a drone belonging to an allied country during its operation in the Red Sea. The warship had already spotted a drone in the operational area on Feb 26, that could not initially be assigned to any of the allied nations. The “Hesse” then tried to shoot down this drone, but was unsuccessful. The case was resolved in the sense that it was not a hostile drone, which only became clear afterwards. Before, the “Hessen” had asked all allied nations, in which no country had reported its own drone in the area of operation. Only later did it turn out that it was an unreported drone. It is well known that there are US combat drones in the region that have nothing to do with the operation in the Red Sea.
CG JOSEPH DOYLE
The 'Joseph Doyle' rescued 12 migrants from a capsized vessel on Feb 26, following the interdiction of an unlawful irregular maritime migration voyage in Mona Passage waters near Puerto Rico. The ship repatriated 11 of the migrants, who claimed to be Dominican Republic nationals, to a Dominican Republic Navy vessel just off Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, in the afternoon of Feb 28. During an evening patrol, a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew had detected a suspect vessel in Mona Passage waters southwest of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, on Feb 26. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle to intercept the vessel. Once on scene, the 'Joseph Doyle' observed packages being jettisoned from the suspect vessel shortly before capsizing. The crew, with the assistance of the cutter's Over the Horizon small boat, rescued all 12 persons from the water. Following the rescue, the crew members discovered three holes in the suspect vessel’s hull which appeared to have been unplugged to scuttle the vessel. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3689544/coast-guard-rescues-12-migrants-following-unlawful-voyage-interdiction-in-the-m/
RUBYMAR
Continued attacks on shipping by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi militia could jeopardise the recovery of the 'Rubymar'. A failure to recover the ship could lead to an environmental disaster in the Red Sea as its cargo of fertiliser could damage the region’s fragile ecology. The Houthis vowed on Feb 27 to continue their near-daily missile and drone attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks and counter strikes by US and UK aircraft further complicated what would be a difficult recovery operation even in peacetime. Even if the 'Rubymar' could saved from sinking, there remained the question where to take her and deal with the hazardous cargo. Most ports will be reluctant to welcome her in. Djibouti has already refused to accept the ship, calling its cargo dangerous. The ship has been taking on water since it was hit by two Houthi ballistic missiles. The vessel's stern was submerged to deck level on Feb 27 . Fuel leaking from the ship has created a 30 kilometer long slick.
MV KING JAMES
The OPDS has arrested two vessels with over 500 tons of oil in the Rivers state with 17 crew members on board. They were arrested by the men of the Joint Task Force at the Onne seaport in Rivers State two weeks after uncovering 14 illegal refineries in Ataba Island. The 'King James' with more than 400 tons of Automotive Gas Oil on board was arrested for lacking proper documentation and approval, as well as the 'Messiah I' with more than 100 tons of AGO on board. The Nigerian Navy ship 'Pathfinder' will conduct further investigation into the matter before both vessels will be handed over for prosecution.
LADY R
The 'Lady R' has rejoined an alleged weapons shipping operation with North Korea after a three-month hiatus, replacing another that recently traveled to a Chinese port for possible maintenance work. But soon after it carried containers from North Korea’s Rason Port to Russia’s Vostochny Port in early February, the entire maritime operation appeared to go on hold, as Russian ships linked to the trade stopped appearing at either port in available satellite imagery. It was unclear if this is due to production problems at DPRK weapons factories or another issue. Other signs point to a resumption in the future, however, highlighting the need to continue monitoring the vessels. The two countries started the operation in August 2ß23, initially between Rason and a Russian military port at Dunay, and the four identified Russian cargo ships have made at least 32 trips to North Korea since then. The 'Lady R' returned to Rason on Feb. 4 for the first time since late October. It was moored at a government-owned port in central Vladivostok over the winter before visiting Vostochny Port on Jan 30 and again on Feb 8. after picking up containers at Rason. The U.S.-sanctioned vessel was previously involved in a controversial shipment of Russian military equipment and possibly weapons to South Africa. Report with photos: https://www.nknews.org/pro/russian-ship-rejoins-north-korea-weapons-trade-only-for-operation-to-go-on-hold/
PETREL I
The 'Petrel I', arrived in Vigo on Feb 28, 2024, with a detainee and 200 kilos of drugs, which were seized 500 miles from the Canary Islands in a joint operation by the Civil Guard and the National Police that allowed them to intercept a Venezuelan-flagged sailboat, which was transporting eight bales of cocaine. A Portuguese citizen was traveling alone on board the yacht and was detained, while the seized drugs were transferred to the Customs Surveillance patrol boat. The narcotic substance was distributed throughout the interior of the boat, without any type of concealment given the small dimensions of the 11-m-sailboat. When it was being towed, the sailboat, in a deteriorated state, sank, so the 'Petrel' returned to Vigo with the drugs and the detainee. Report with video: https://www.larazon.es/galicia/descargan-vigo-200-kilos-cocaina-interceptados-velero-cerca-canarias_2024022865df2ed2b7621f0001db6750.html
SEA-EYE 4
On Feb 27, the crew of the 'Sea Eye 4' was called to assist a boat with 59 refugees which was in distress in the SAR zone of Malta. Alarmphone had informed the responsible authorities and the rescue ship in the afternoon of the emergency. After a five-hour search, the boat was found at 7 p.m., and the people on board were rescued. Two people died, the other 57 were in very poor health.
FS FLAMANT
On Feb 28, 2024, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that several migrant boats were in difficulty off the coast of Pas-de-Calais. In the morning, a boat departed from the Wissant sector. The 'Abeille Normandie' was deployed to ensure that this boat does not require assistance. Once in the area, no specific report was made by the people on board of this boat, and it continued its journey. Around 10:30 a.m., a second boat nearby was reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez being in difficulty and requesting assistance. The CROSS deployed the 'Abeille Normandie' to assist. The crew rescued the 55 people on board, who were then dropped off at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. At around 11:15 a.m., the police launch 'Eulimène' was engaged on the first boat to ensure that assistance was still not necessary. The boat continued its journey without making any particular request. Later, the 'Seine' of the French Navy took over the task to monitor the boat. Around noon, the migrants on board asked to be rescued. The 'Seine' took on board 56 people. Once the rescue was completedat around 1:20 p.m., the crew of the 'Seine' was informed that three people had fallen into the sea earlier in the day during the attempted crossing. The 'Seine' then began searching and saw a body drifting in the water. The CROSS Gris-Nez simultaneously deployed a Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy and the 'Flamant' to try to find other possible people in the water. Once in the area, the Dauphin helicopter located three people adrift, one of whom was already submerged. With instructions from the helicopter, the 'Seine' found and recovered a first person, unconscious, who could not be resuscitated on board and was declared dead at the dock. During the search, weather conditions deteriorated in the area and made investigations difficult. The two other people reported could not be found. After the area hwas fully investigated, the maritime prefect of the Channel and the North Sea decided to interrupt the search. In the late afternoon, the 'Seine' docked at the port of Calais where the migrants were taken care of by the rescue services. An investigation was opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor’s office. Report with photo: https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/bilan-des-operations-de-recherches-et-de-sauvetage-dans-le-detroit-du-pas-de-calais-62