The search for a missing boater has been suspended by the US Coast Guard after the 'Linedout' crashed into a rig off the coast of Grand Isle on March 12, 2024. The boat had issued a distress call after taking on water near ship shoal 87 with two people still aboard and a third man overboard. The USCG sent out a helicopter aircrew and a 45-foot response boat to rescue the two onboard and started searching for the third. The lift boat 'Gloria' also responded and was able to retrieve the two injured boaters. he chopper crew saw no visual trace of the missing man and airlifted the two injured individuals from the liftboat, who were taken to a hospital in New Orleans conscious and responsive. Search efforts continued until March 14 around 1:20 p.m. Crews had searched more than 30 hours and over 926 square miles involving the - U.S. Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk; - U.S. Coast Guard Aviation Training Center HC-144 Ocean Sentry; - U.S. Coast Guard Cutter 'Tiger Shark'; - U.S. Coast Guard Station Grand Isle 45-foot boat; - Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
News
SALVAMAR BETELGEUSE
On March 14 the 'Salvamar Betelgeuse' towe the Spanish flagged fishing boat 'Dexo' to A Coruña. The ship had been disabled and adrift between the estuaries of Coruña and Ferrol, because it had a rope tangled in the propeller. Report with video: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1768321717250691098
JENNIFER
The 'Jennifer' has arrived on March 13, 2024, at Larnaca Port, en route from Rhodes, and was expected to depart for Gaza on March 15 to transport 500 tons of humanitarian aid, which arrived from abroad by air at Larnaca Airport, Glafkos Clerides, and was then transferred to a warehouse at Larnaca Port. The humanitarian aid included sugar, flour, pasta, canned goods, and milk. Scanners have been placed at Larnaca Port, operated by specialized personnel from Israel. Necessary checks of the humanitarian aid were conducted for security reasons, and then the specially packaged pallets were to be loaded onto the ship. The ship was estimated to reach Gaza in 36 hours. Due to the seabed’s topography, the ship will wait for the unloading of the humanitarian aid carried by the “Open Arms” and the barge 'MMS Aris' to be completed. Then, the goods will be unloaded to the barge to be transported to the shore. Report with photos: https://in-cyprus.philenews.com/in-cyprus/second-ship-carrying-humanitarian-aid-to-depart-for-gaza-tomorrow/
OPEN ARMS
The 'Open Arms' with a barge carrying 200 tons of much-needed food aid was slowly sailing toward the Gaza Strip. The current voyage is the first of several planned as part of a maritime aid corridor to the Gaza Strip. The ship was slowly sailing south of the coast of Israel on March 14. On March 13, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said a second aid ship with bigger capacity was being prepared at a virtual meeting on the maritime corridor with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and senior ministers and officials from the UK, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the European Union and the United Nations. The ministers agreed that there was no meaningful substitute to land routes via Egypt and Jordan and entry points from Israel into Gaza for aid delivery at scale. They also called on Israel to open the port of Ashdod, which lies north of Gaza, for aid deliveries. Since the beginning of the war on Oct 7, 2023, 303,930 tons of aid have been delivered to Gaza, according to COGAT, the Israeli military body that handles Palestinian civilian affairs.
WILSON SKAW
After the grounding of the 'Wilson Skaw' in the Húnaflói fjord on April 18, 2023, loaded with salt en routefrom Hvammstangi to Hólmavík, the traffic accident investigation committee has now advised the Ministry of Infrastructure that a regulation must be created for the water and pilotage of ships. In the Húnaflói there are underwater skerries and shoals that are dangerous for shipping. The transport authority should update the digital editions of shipping maps, so that it is clear in which areas there is a need for special local knowledge and where pilots can be found. There appears to be no legal obligation to have a local pilot on board. The final report of the committee of inquiry therefore required that the transport authority must have a list of licensed pilots for ships on the way to or from the port. The authority issues the licenses and also has to maintain the list of pilots, but the latter has not been done in the past. There is also no official list of coastal pilots, and information about where to find a licensed pilot for the Icelandic high seas is not available. Furthermore, the investigative committee recommended that the shipping company Wilson Ship Management AS affected by the accident follow the international agreement on the fair treatment of crew after an accident. At the time of the accident, the captain of the 'Wilson Skaw' refused to provide psychological support to his crew. Communication on board, especially on the bridge, also needed to be improved, according to the report, and recommended the implementation of Bridge Resource Management, a training plan that is also mandatory for pilots. The 'Wilson Skaw' was refloated on April 21 and taken over by the shipbreakers Green Yard Kleven on Aug 4 for recyling.
NORWEGIAN SKY
The Department of Immigration and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force were soliciting assistance from the public in locating three Colombian nationals, comprising one man and two women, who disembarked from the 'Norwegian Star' at Tortola Island, but failed to return before it departed for homeport La Romana. Mr. Jean Carlo Ospina Cano, Ms. Pamela Mesa Escobar, and Ms. Yesica Yojana Marin Ramirez arrived in the Road Town Tortila aboard the 'Norwegian Sky' on March 10, 2024 but didn't re-board before the vessel's departure. The immigration authorities and law enforcement have issued a public advisory featuring photographs of the three, urging individuals with information regarding their whereabouts to come forward promptly. Individuals possessing knowledge that could assist in locating the missing Colombian nationals are encouraged to contact the Department of Immigration at 468-4717, 468-4754, 468-4705, or the RVIPF’s hotline at 311.
ABDULLAH
According to the owner of the hijacked 'Abdullah', there has been no contact with the pirates despite rumors in the local media that a ransom of $ 5 million has been demanded. The 23 crew members were still being held hostage on the ship, which anchored at the Garakad coast near Hobyo port in Somalia on March 14 at 2.00 p.m. The ship's AIS position is very close to the last reported position of the 'Ruen', the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier that was hijacked in Dec 2021. The owner stated that according to the latest information, the pirates have not harmed the crew in any way, and was exploring all possibilities. Neither have the authorities received demands for a ransom to release the crew. There were about 50 pirates on the ship, and the attack may be the first in a series. Four suspected pirate ships have sailed off the coast of Somalia with 36 armed men on board.
RUEN
The 'Ruen', which was hijacked by Somali pirates in Dec 2023, was reported sailing off the coast of Somalia and may be used to conduct attacks on merchant vessels, the British maritime security firm Ambrey said on March 14, 2023. The ship, which has a black hull, red deck and a yellow smokestack with a red horizontal stripe, was seen sailing eastward 160 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia. The capture of the Ruen was the first successful hijacking involving Somali pirates since 2017, when a crackdown by international navies stopped a rash of seizures in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. Ransom for the 'Ruen'’s kidnapped crew has not been paid. The pirates were still holding 17 crew after releasing one for medical reasons. The 'Ruen' is managed by the Navigation Maritime Bulgare.
ABDULLAH
The 20 hijackers of the 'Abdullah' have demanded a $50 million ransom and threatened to kill the crew if there was any delay in payment. The ship was due to reach Somalia anchjorage early on March 14. All the crew members were reportedly safe and sound for the time being. A European Union vessel was tracking the ship as it headed toward the coast. At that time, there was a gunfight between the two sides. However, the raiding vessel later retreated fearing the death of the sailors held hostage on the Bangladeshi vessel. Meanwhile relatives received calls from board: "Our ship has been attacked. The ship is being hijacked and taken to the coast of Somalia. We are all being held in a room. We have not been beaten. By the grace of Allah, we are doing well, so far, please pray!" These were the words of ASM Saiduzzaman, chief engineer of the hijacked 'Abdullah' to his wife Mehreen Safrin, living in the RG Naogaon area of Naogaon city Zaman, by phone on the night of March 12. On March 13 morning, a recorded voice message came to Mehreen's phone again. In that message, a voice was heard saying, "Sir is fine. Sir is sleeping after eating Sehri. If you have any messages, send an SMS to this number." Mehreen, worried about her husband, said, "The work of the ship is very risky. Sometimes when he goes deep into the sea, there is no contact with him for 15-20 days. I used to worry then. I would only get in touch with him when he came back within the network. But this time the matter is very worrying. They have fallen into the hands of pirates. I see in the news that if they don't get the ransom, they will kill them one by one. “I am spending my time in extreme anxiety in this situation. I can't go anywhere for help with my one-year-old daughter and ailing in-laws. Our appeal to the government and the shipping company authorities is to somehow rescue my husband from the pirates." Qaiyum, a former principal of Sapahar Government College in Nawabganj and former president of Nawabganj District Press Club, received a call from his son's number on March 13 at 3:30 p.m. He called and said that their ship had been attacked by pirates. The ship is being taken to the coast of Somalia. After that, he sent a voice SMS from another number in the night and the next morning. He said in the voice SMS that he was doing well. The pirates did not beat him. They are all being held in a room. They are not being given much water to drink as there is a shortage of food and water on the ship." Omn March 12 at 1:30 pm Bangladesh time, Somali pirates had boarded and took control of the ship, en route from Maputo with 58,000 tonnes of coal. All 23 sailors on board were Bangladeshis. The ship is owned by SR Shipping Limited, an associate company of Chattogram’s Kabir Group.
FV NICOLAS JEREMY
Aboard the 'Nicolas-Jérémy' which was off the coast of the Côte d’Opale, Dunkirk, on March 13, 2024, the fisherman Ludovic Caloin, 51, died following a heart attack. The ship requested medical assistance from the CROSS Gris-Nez after he suffered a cardio-respiratory arrest. The CROSS then established a telephone conference between the maritime medical consultation center in Toulouse, the maritime medical coordination ambulance in Le Havre and the ship. A medical evacuation by helicopter was recommended, and the CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy base in Le Touquet, reinforced by a medical team from the mobile emergency and maritime resuscitation service from the Boulogne-sur-Mer hospital. The medical team was dropped off aboard the trawler. Despite the cardiac massage provided by the crew and the intervention of emergency services, the victim could not be resuscitated. The sailor was declared dead by the medical team before being brought ashore at the port of Dunkirk.
SALVAMAR MINTAKA
On Feb 13, 2024, the Spanish flagged fishing vessel 'Trasmallero' was adrift near the port of #Barcelona, due to a mechanical failure. Salvamento Marítimo tasked the 'Salvamar Mintaka' to assist. It took the ship in tow and safely pulled it to the fishing dock of Barcelona.
MV BEAUTIFUL STARS
After a very long hiatus, the Roble Shipping is finally back in the Cebu to Baybay City, Leyte and v.v. Route to serve the people of Baybay and its neighbouring towns with the 'Beautiful Stars', which was acquired by the company in 2008 as the first roro vessel that was ever deployed on the route until a barge sunk and submerged near the roro ramp area amid the Typhoon Odette in Dec 2021. This making it difficult for bigger ships to dock in the Baybay City port. After the barge was removed, the ship could safely dock again.
BEHSHAD
The 'Behshad', owned by Iran's Rahbaran Omid Darya Ship Management Co., has been accused of playing a central role in disruptions to commercial maritime traffic in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and of being a source for vital information for the Houthis. It was even suspected of having sabotaged submarine cables in the Red Sea when damage was noted to these infrastructures used for the transit of Internet data. The ship was nearby at the time of the incident. Even the USA seemed to be convinced that the 'Behshad' is not just a simple cargo ship. The vessel was the target of an American cyberattack which temporarily paralyzed it in February. Two weeks later, it was operational again. The official Iranian version – that it is a commercial ship – is difficult to swallow for experts. It is, for example, far too equipped for a commercial cargo ship. In Jan 2024, it left the Red Sea enroute to the Gulf of Aden and then positioned itself about 100 kilometers from the coast of Djibouti and began zizaging in the Gulf of Aden. The arrival of the ship in the Gulf of Aden coincided with a sharp increase in attacks on ships in this area. The 'Behshad' is thus suspected of crisscrossing the area in search of potential targets for the Houthis and sending them geolocation data so that they can strike right.
TRUE CONFIDENCE
The two remaining Filipino crew members of the 'True Confidence' returned to the Philippines on MArch 14. They arrived via a chartered medical evacuation flight at 6:45 a.m. They had suffered serious injuries in the missile attack but they were cleared fit for travel by medical authorities in Djibouti on March 13. The two were taken to a hospital where they have been reunited with their families and will continue their recovery. They requested privacy. On March 12, a first batch of 11 Filipino crew members was repatriated. One of them had minor injuries. Two Filipinos were killed and three were severely injured in the attack. The remains of the two Filipino seafarers were expected to be retrieved soon as their ship has reached Oman under tow.
MARGARITAVILLE A.S.P
A Florida man was arrested on March 11, after a 27-year-old woman from Florida was found dead inside her cabin of the 'MArgaritaville at Sea Paradise', that departed Palm Beach on March 10 for a two-night sailing to Freeport. Officers responded to the cruise at around 5:30 p.m. after cruise employees contacted them about an unresponsive female passenger. Medical staff performed CPR, but she was declared dead. The companion was arrested after the discovery and confiscation of a quantity of suspected cocaine from the cabin. All appropriate authorities were notified, including the FBI. The company was fully cooperating with the FBI and its investigation. During the investigation, officers confiscated suspected cocaine and arrested a 32-year-old man.
KONINGSDAM
A norovirus outbreak affected 110 people aboard the 'Koningsdam', which was underway with 2,522 passengers on board. 98 passengers and 12 crew members reported symptoms of illness, primarily experiencing diarrhea and vomiting, as reported by the CDC agency (USA's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). The 'Koningsdam' was on a roundtrip voyage in the North Pacific through Honolulu (Feb 26), Uturoa and Papeete (March 3 and 7) after departing from its homeport San Diego on Feb 17, 2024. In response to the outbreak, Holland America and the ship's crew implemented enhanced cleaning and disinfection protocols, as well as isolating affected passengers and crew members, among other precautionary measures.