On May 18, 2024, at around 4:00 a.m. LT the cargo m/v 'Mohammed Z' (IMO: 8805078) with 11 crew members, including nine Syrian and two Egyptian nationals, on board sank en route from Istanbul Anchorage to Sulina about 26 nautical off the city of Sfântu Gheorghe in the Black Sea after a collision with the 'Michel', which was en route from Odessa to Varna with a cargo of steel pipes. The Romanian authorities launched an SAR operation and notified two merchant vessels sailing in the area to assist. The 'Michel' rescued eight castaways and took them to Constanta for medical treatment. One of them was suffering from two injuries and has been admitted to the hospital. The Romanian authorities have also deployed a helicopter from the Romania Air Force and two rescue vessels, the 'Artemis' and 'Apollo' from ARSVOM to search the three missing crewmembers. Two police boats have also joined the search. According to a port inspection conducted in Egypt, the vessel had deficiencies, including inoperative safety lamps and improperly maintained life buoys. An investigation into the accident was ongoing with the cooperation of the rescued crew members. The 'Michel' arrived in Varna with structural bow damages on May 19 at 7.20 a.m. UTC.
News
DALI
The 'Dali' was towed away on the early morning high tide of May 20 at around 7 a.m. Prior to this the ship was pumped clear of seawater used as ballast to secure it on the seabed beneath the wreckage of the bridge. Large sections of the crashed bridge also had to be cleared laying across the bows of 'Dali' were removed, using blasting materials where necessary. Once pumped clear of her ballast water, five tugs gently pulled the ship clear of her position and, sailing at a mere one knot, towed her back to the port of Baltimore, where it was moored at the Seagirt Marine Container Terminal at 3.20 p.m. UTC. Still loaded with most of her containers, the 'Dali' showed a gaping hole above the waterline of her starboard side. The ship will receive basic repairs in Baltimore where it was likely all her containers will be unloaded, before the ship leaves for a shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia, for more extensive repairs to be completed. Meanwhile, investigators including the FBI continued to probe the circumstances surrounding the allision, terming it a criminal investigation. The ship’s crew remained on board with their visas having expired and unable to return home or even leave the ship until the investigators have completed making their enquiries. The Unified Command continued to clear the remaining wreckage from the Fort McHenry Federal Channel. It anticipated that the operational width of the federal channel may soon be 400 feet wide to a depth of 50 feet. With the removal of the 158-foot-wide M/V Dali, Unified Command salvage crews, using crane and barge assets already on site, will work to remove any remaining bridge wreckage. This effort will be continued until the federal channel is restored to its original width of 700 feet and all steel below the mudline has been removed. The Maryland Transportation Authority continued to oversee the removal of the remaining steel and concrete outside of the federal channel. Photos and video: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-29-photo-release-m-v-dali-refloated-moved-away-from-key-bridge https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-31-multimedia-release-unified-command-releases-time-lapse-of-m-v-dali-refloat-relocating
Rio de Janeiro
The Mexican tank m/v ’Irmã Dulce’, 72900 dwt (IMO: 9548691), which was under construction at Estalairo Maua in Rio de Janeiro, suffered water ingress in the engine room and aft peak in the night of May 4, 2020. The stern came to rest on bthe bottom at a water depth of four to five meters. The accident was apparently caused by a leaking valve. In the afternoon of May 5 divers managed to stabilize the ship. It was the second of a series of four for Transpetro and was launched in 2014. The order for all three ships still under construction was later canceled. The Panamax had currently been 95% completed. Report with photo: https://splash247.com/near-complete-brazilian-tanker-newbuild-sinks-at-pier/ .
Port Elizabeth
On May 2, 2020, at 08.50 a.m. the NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew and EC Government Health EMS were activated by the Transnet National Ports Authority to respond to rendezvous with a bulk carrier approaching Port Elizabeth from Cape Town to attend to a 52 year old Iraqi crew member onboard the ship suffering an emergency medical condition, not Covid-19 related. The sea rescue craft 'Spirit of Toft' was launched accompanied by an EMS rescue paramedic and rendezvoused with the ship seven miles East of Cape Recife. The EMS rescue paramedic and an NSRI rescue swimmer were transferred onto the ship and the patient was found to be in a critical condition. The paramedic took over emergency medical treatment from the ships medical crew and the patient, secured into a stokes basket stretcher, was transferred onto the sea rescue craft and the EMS paramedic and NSRI medics continued with medical care onboard the sea rescue craft while the patient was brought to the NSRI Port Elizabeth sea rescue base and in the care of paramedics he was transported to hospital by EMS ambulance. Despite extensive efforts by hospital medical staff the patient passed away.
EVER FELICITY
On the morning of May 20, 2024, at around 7.40 a.m., two stevedores, a 57-year-old worker from Ishinomaki City and a 53-year-old worker from Osaki City, were found collapsed on the 'Ever Felicity', which was berthed at the at Hibarino Kita Pier in the Ishinomaki Port in the Miyagi Prefecture. A crew member had alerted the fire department. The two were taken to the hospital due to carbon dioxide poisoning. The 57-year-old man, who was found unconscious, was in a serious condition. It was believed that the two people collapsed due to lack of oxygen while entering the ship's cargo hold to load cargo. Palm shells used as biomass fuel were piled up inside the hold. The Ishinomaki Coast Guard Station started conducting a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident and whether there were any safety issues. Report with photo: https://www.msn.com/ja-jp/news/national/%E9%85%B8%E6%AC%A0%E7%8A%B6%E6%85%8B-%E7%9F%B3%E5%B7%BB%E6%B8%AF%E3%81%AE%E8%B2%A8%E7%89%A9%E8%88%B9%E3%81%AE%E5%80%89%E5%BA%AB%E3%81%A72%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%8C%E5%80%92%E3%82%8C1%E4%BA%BA%E6%84%8F%E8%AD%98%E4%B8%8D%E6%98%8E-%E5%80%89%E5%BA%AB%E5%86%85%E3%81%AB%E3%81%AF%E3%83%90%E3%82%A4%E3%82%AA%E3%83%9E%E3%82%B9%E7%87%83%E6%96%99%E3%81%AE-%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%A0%E3%83%A4%E3%82%B7%E6%AE%BB-%E5%AE%AE%E5%9F%8E/ar-BB1mGAy9
RIDENS
In the night of May 19, 2024, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed by the departmental directorate of public security that a boat with migrants on board had set sail in the Gravelines sector. The CROSS Gris-Nez mobilized the 'Ridens' to relocate and verify the situation. The 56 boat people were recovered by the 'Ridens' and then dropped at the port of Calais, where they were taken care of by the land emergency services and the border police.
Libreville
22 and 36 nautical miles Northwest of Libreville the latest acts of piracy occurred in positions 00° 30.50’N 009°06.21’E and 00° 55.24N 009° 08 09E and involved two fishing trawlers named 'amerger II' and 'Amerger VIIÄ – the first taking place 20 nautical miles off Libreville and the second 36 n.miles off Libreville. Both incidents involved a single speedboat described as a skiff powered by three engines and having 13 pirates on board. The pirates were reported as being English-speakers which gives rise to suspicions of them being of Nigerian origin, despite this being some distance from Nigeria. The boarding of each trawler resulted in three of the crew from each vessel being kidnapped. The nationalities of those kidnapped are reported as three Indonesian, two Senegalese, and one South Korean.
Durban
On May 3, 2020, at 10.15 a.m. the NSRI Durban launched the sea rescue craft 'Alick Rennie' to transport a ShipsMed doctor to a bulk carrier at the outer anchorage off-shore of the Port of Durban. The Port Health Authorities had arranged for the doctor to take sample swabs from a crewman onboard the ship, which is due to enter Port, for Covid-19 laboratory testing prior to the ship being granted permission to enter Port. Observing all Covid-19 Department of Health and Port Health Authority safety regulations and protocols on arrival at the ship the doctor was transferred onto the ship and sample swabs were collected from the crewman. The doctor returned to the sea rescue craft accompanied by the samples that he had collected and he was brought into Durban Port without incident. Port Health Authorities evaluated the samples to determine safe passage for the ship to enter Port. The operation completed at 11.40 a.m.
GARIBALDI
On May 20, 2024, the 'Garibaldi' issued a PAN PAN call after going adrift near Santander. The CCS Santander of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR boat 'Salvamar Deneb' to assist, which took the yacht in tow and safely pulled it to the Marina del Cantábrico.
RHONE FRENCH WARSHIP
In the night of May 18, 2024, the CROSS Gris Nez was informed by the Calais port captaincy that a migrant boat was at sea in the Calais sector and deployed the 'Rhône' to check the situation on site. Once in the area, various people on the boat requested assistance and the 'Rhône' successively recovered 15 people. Other people still on board the boat refused the assistance offered by French means. The castaways were dropped off at the port of Calais, where they were taken care of by the land emergency services and the border police.
Port Elizabeth
On April 30, 2020, at 11.15 a.m. the NSRI Port Elizabeth duty crew were alerted by TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority) requesting assistance to evacuate a Filipino crew member of a bunkering tanker at anchorage off-shore of the Port of Port Elizabeth. The man required transportation to a dentist as soon as possible and considering the Covid-19 lockdown the Port Health Authorities advised the tasking of NSRI to carry out the operation, taking into consideration that NSRI are well prepared for all Covid-19 Department of Health protocols, regulations and precautions. At 1 p.m. the sea rescue craft 'JLT Rescuer' was launched and rendezvoused with the tanker thre miles off Port Elizabeth in calm seas. The patient was transferred onto the sea rescue craft and he was brought to shore and transported to a dentist appointment by the ships agent. At 3.30 p.m. the patient returned to the Port of Port Elizabeth and he boarded our sea rescue craft JLT Rescuer and we transported him back to the ship and returned to base without incident.
Grenaa
After the gas explosion aboard the Danish dredger vessel ‘Grete Fighter‘, 582 gt (IMO: 7944762), on April 23 in the port of Grenå,the Grenaa Shipyard has not yet received a report from the Labor Inspectorate on the cause of the accident which was thought to be be due to gas emissions or diesel fumes. However, the yard has already chosen to tighten security in several areas. On April 28, a joint meeting was held where staff and management discussed what they could do to be 100 percent sure the accident cannot recur. It was decided to buy a lot of technical equipment to prevent such an explosion in the future, and some new procedures for this type of work will be intrduced. The two survivors of the accident were in critical condition.