The 'Laax', enroute from Vatika Bay to Imam Khomeini with 14 people on board, was hit by three missiles in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen on May 28. 2024, as it passed 33 nautical miles northwest of the port of Al Mukha (Mocka or Mocha),southwest of Hodeidah. The bulk carrier sustained some damage to one of the cargo holds and was taking on waterm developing a list. It was sailing in ballast after discharging the cargo of about 60,000 tons of soya beans at the port of Ceyhan on May 21. There were no injuries on board. A total of five missiles were launched from Yemen on that day. The ship was now sailing to a port nearby (possibly Djibouti) to assess the extent of the damage. The crew, consisting of 13 Filipinos and one Ukrainian, was safe.
News
SEIMEIMARU
On May 26, 2024, at around 11 p.m. the "Sei Mei Maru" ran aground with four crew members on board west of Nakajima, a remote island in the Kudako Channel belonging to Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. The ship had left Ube Port in the Yamaguchi Prefecture at around 4 p.m. with a cargo of 1,530 tons of limestone en route to Kakogawa Port in the Hyogo Prefecture. The cause of the accident was unknown at this time, and the Matsuyama Coast Guard launched an investigation. Report with photo: https://crane1000.com/cargo-ship-seimei-maru-grounding-accident-west-of-nakajima-in-kudako-suido/
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.
PETREL
Magin Luis Caballero launched a £7m law suit after suffering life changing injuries when the 'Petrel' tipped over at Imperial dock in Leith on March 22, 2023. He is suing the US government over the incident in which more than 30 people were hurt with some of them sustaining life-changing injuries. Mr. Caballero, from Houston, Texas, worked as an assistant cook on the ship for US Navy contractor Oceaneering International. His lawyers claimed the US government were negligent and failed to provide a safe working environment for Mr Caballero. He is seeking $10 million for "mental anguish, pain and suffering, physical impairment and disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, past and future medical expenses, maintenance and cure, attorney's fees and loss of earnings." His legal claim was lodged at US District Court in Texas, but a judge ruled earlier this month the case should be heard in Florida where the 'Petrel' is currently docked. The lawsuit states: "On March 22, 2023, the Vessel was secured in a drydock in Leith, Edinburgh. But Defendant's agents and/or servants failed to properly secure the Vessel in drydock. Around 8.35 a.m., strong winds dislodged the Vessel from its holding, causing the Vessel to topple over. Mr Caballero was working in the galley. He was literally thrown across the galley when the Vessel dislodged from its holding, causing his body to smash into a table. He suffered serious, life-altering injuries. He was transported to the hospital. Mr Caballero was transported back to the United States weeks later. He has been unable to return to work. He continues to need serious, ongoing medical care. Nothing Mr Caballero did or failed to do on the occasion in question caused or in any way contributed to cause his injuries. To the contrary, these events were caused by the negligence of the Defendant or its agents and servants. Defendant had a non-delegable duty to provide Mr. Caballero with a reasonably safe place to work and a Vessel, crew, and equipment fit for its intended use. Defendant, directly or through its agents or servants, failed in that regard."
IGOR FARKHUTDINOV
on May 27, 2024, the “Igor Farkhutdinov” with 125 people on board en route from Yizhni-Kurilsk, while following the Korsakov route, lost speed due to a technical malfunction and smoke development. The vessel was towed to the Nevelsk seaport. The last reported pos. was 45° 21.39' N 147° 09.90' E.
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.
LESLIE FRANK
On May 28, 2024, the 'Leslie Frank' suffered an engine failure about 3.5 nautical miles southwest of the port of Barbate with two crew members on board and requested assistance. The CCS Tarifa of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR boat 'Salvamar Enif', which took the yacht in tow and safely pulled it to the port of Barbate.
MINERVA LISA
Houthi rebels on May 27, 2024, claimed attacks onto the 'Largo Desert' in the Indian Ocean and the container ship “MSC Michela” and referred to an attack in the Red Sea against the “Minerva Lisa”. A spokesman did not give details of the results or the weapons used. The 'Largo Desert' was en route from Durban to Beira, and the 'Minerva Lisa' was located in the Red Sea earlier in the day. The 'MSC Michela' was en route from Valencia to Suape.
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.