In the night of May 26, 2024, the “Isla Santa Cruz” had to be abandoned by its crew when it began to sink for unknown reasons near Salinas, while the ship was towing a semi-submersible that had been seized with 169 packages of drugs 150 miles from the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). A rapid reaction team was immediately deployed to find the 12 crew members as well as the three people who had been captured in the semi-submersible, who were all rescued. During the SAR operation, the coordinating centers of Ecuador, the United States and Peru participated. In addition, two ships of the Ecuadorian Navy, an aircraft of the Colombian Armed Forces, a merchant ship and a fishing vessel were involved.
News
AYDOGAN
On May 27, 2024, at around 2 p.m. the 'Aydogan', en route from Gebze (Kocaeli) to Suez, suffered a rudder failure in front of Gallipoli during the transit of the Dardanelles Strait. Under the coordination of the Çanakkale VTS Center, the ship was moored at the Karanlık Liman Anchorage, assisted by a pilot and the tug 'Kurtarma 4' (IMO: 9335941). The ship resumed its voyage at 5.45 p.m. with an ETA as of May 30. Report with photo: https://x.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1795096592468374002
Grenaa
The chairman of the board of Grenaa Shipyard, Esben Møller, was deeply affected by the violent gas explosion on the dredger 'Grete Fighter', which injured three employees on April 23, 2020. The cause is still unknown. Shipyard chairman deeply affected by accide. "We have never experienced anything like it here, ”says Esben Møller. The accident happened shortly after lunch break when the employees were on their way back to the ship, which was in the shipyard in connection with a 5 year revision. On the way to the ship's tank system there was a huge explosion. Two men have reached the bottom of the ship, while the one closest to the exit was being helped out. Police and fire departments were alerted at 9.35 a.m., and shipyard and ship crews quickly reached the two at the bottom of the ship, which were most severely affected by the explosion, but were unable to rescue them. But they stayed with them until the fire department and the ambulance arrived. According to police, the three severely injured people who were flown to Rigshospitalet are a 31-year-old man from Norddjurs, a 53-year-old man from Syddjurs and a 50-year-old man from West Funen. "I don't know about their situation anymore, other than it's very serious," Esben Møller said. The accident is now being investigated by the police and the Labor Inspectorate. The 'Grete Fighter', which is owned by Peter Madsen Rederi, was in the yard for a five-year inspection. According to Grenaa Shipyard, on the ship various steel works were to be carried out, measurements of screw shaft and rudder, full service of auxiliary and main engine, dismantling of bottom and bilge valves and a full coating of bottom and bulwark. In addition, the old excavator had to be dismantled in favour of a new one.
Guam
One crew member of the USS 'Theodore Roosevelt' which was being anchored off Guam has died of a corona virus infection on April 14, 2020. The woman had been in intensive care but died of health complications. More than 550 crew members of the 5.000 crew members were tested positive. The ship has been largely evacuated during the recent days. Commander Brett Crozier had been fired as he wrote a letter expressing his concern about the crew situation and asked for help by the Navy.
CG MUNRO
The crew of the 'Munro (WMSL 755)' offloaded approximately 33,768 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated value of $468 million, on May 21, 2024, in San Diego. The offload was a result of eight separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions or events off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America by the Coast Guard Cutter in February and March. Reports with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3788220/media-advisory-coast-guard-to-offload-approximately-33768-pounds-of-cocaine-in/ https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3789060/multimedia-release-coast-guard-crew-offloads-468-million-worth-of-cocaine-in-sa/
DALI
Crews working to restore the federal channel of debris from the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge need more time before shipping traffic can be fully restored. The end of May had been the goal of state and federal officials, but on May 24 it was announced that work will conclude by June 10. The Army Corps of Engineers was pushing forward as quickly and safely as possible to reach 700 feet and ensuring we remove all wreckage to prevent any impact to future navigation, and continued to clear wreckage from the riverbed to restore the federal channel to its original 700-foot width and 50-foot depth. The remaining work involves digging out the bottom cord of the remaining truss of the collapsed structure and cutting it into three sections to lift and remove the wreckage. Only about one-third of this truss is visible above the water as it stretches down to the riverbed and sits buried in Patapsco River mud. Based on the latest dive surveys and engineer analyses conducted after the refloating the 'Dali', work to restore the federal channel is projected to conclude between June 8-10. The adjusted timing accounts for the complexity of the cutting and rigging required to lift portions of the large span, which is more complex than initially estimated. The salvage crews must dig out the bottom cord of this truss to access the areas needing to be cut. The revised timeline also accounts for safety measures and possible inclement weather. Thunderstorms were in the forecast through May 27. After the 'Dali' was towed away, a 400-foot-wide, 50-foot-deep channel into the Baltimore harbour opened on May 21 as the largest, and deepest, marine route into the Port of Baltimore to open since the Key Bridge collapsed. 24-hour commercial vessel traffic through the Fort McHenry Limited Access Channel had commenced on May 21. Deep-draft vessels, which must be accompanied by a Maryland pilot and two escort tugs, have priority in the 50- foot-deep channel, though shallower commercial ships can use the three existing alternate channels. As of May 27, about 500 commercial vessels have passed through temporary channels opened by Key Bridge Response Unified Command in the eight weeks since the collapse.
Toulon
More than 1,000 sailors aboard the aircraft carrier 'Charles de Gaulle' have tested positive for COVID-19, a number that could continue to surge as the crew awaits approximately 930 more test results. The outbreak onboard the French navy’s flagship forced leadership to call off the remaining two weeks of the carrier’s scheduled deployment to the North Atlantic. The ship, which carries a crew of nearly 1,800, pulled into port last week at Toulon Naval Base in southern France. In all, 1,081 crew members from the Charles de Gaulle naval group have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. That total comes almost entirely from the carrier, and includes at least two U.S. sailors who were assigned to the ship as part of the U.S. Navy’s Personnel Exchange Program. The American sailors have since been removed from the ship and were receiving excellent host nation medical care at French facilities. The declining health of one French sailor, meanwhile, necessitated a transfer to the intensive care unit. Partially complicating the early detection process onboard the 'Charles de Gaulle' was the rate of asymptomatic carriers. Of the confirmed cases, nearly half showed no symptoms. Additionally, masks were not made available until late in the ship’s deployment. T The debilitating spread of the virus onboard France’s lone carrier, has sparked concern about the nation’s ability to remain ready to fight. Unlike the U.S. Navy, which touts 10 other active carriers in addition to the coronavirus-stricken USS 'Theodore Roosevelt', losing the 'Charles de Gaulle' for an extended period could cripple France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities.
Turku
On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Meyer yard in Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.
SALVAMAR CAPELLA
On May 27, the fishing vessel 'Nuevo Avril', based in San Juan de La Arena, suffered water ingress and sank 14 nautical miles westnorthwest of Cabo Peñas. The SAR helicopter Helimer 222 was mobilized by the CCS Gijón of Salvamento Marítimo and has rescued the two crew members, who had abandoned ship onto the life raft, and has taken them to El Musel, where an ambulance was waiting. The 'Salvamar Capella' was also deployed to the area to rule out a contamination due to the sinking. No signs of contamination were detected. The raft, the radio beacon, lifebuoys and some boxes were recovered by the SAR boat.
Galveston
The US Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from a 600-foot tanker at anchorage approximately 15 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, on April 19, 2020. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a report of a 58-year-old man reportedly experiencing symptoms of an upper respiratory illness. Watchstanders consulted with the duty flight surgeon as well as local CDC and county health partners who recommended the medevac. Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew. The RB-M boat crew transferred the patient to awaiting emergency medical services personnel at Station Galveston who transported him to the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.
Turku
On March 31, 2020, around 9 a.m. a fire broke out aboard the new built Panama flagged cruise ship 'Mardi Gras', 183200 gt (9837444), which is currently built at the Åbovarvet Meyer Turku. The fire occurred in a cabin on the upper deck, and fire crews managed to limit the fire to one cabin. In total, 18 fire brigade units were sent from the rescue service to the shipyard, but the fire could quickly be extinguished by the shipyard's own fire department. However, the ship must be checked to make sure there were no remaining hot spots. All workers were evacuated from the ship, but no one was injured in the fire. The cause of the fire was still unclear.