The 'Vertom Odette', which, according to Podemos, could carry weapons destined for Israel, arrived in Cartagena on June 6 at 6 p.m. and left the port heading to Bar (Montenegro) at 9.15 p.m. It berthed at the Escombreras terminal, and it was unknown if the ship has unloaded any merchandise or if it has been inspected to verify that it was not transporting weapons that could be used against Gaza, as Podemos and pro-Palestinian associations have requested. The head of the central investigative court number 1 of the National Court has opened preliminary proceedings on the transit through Spanish waters of the ship which, according to a complaint by Podemos presented to the court, could carry weapons intended for Israel. About a hundred people carrying Palestinian flags and a banner with the slogan 'Cartagena is not a port for genocidal ships' gathered on June 6 on the esplanade of the port of Cartagena demanding that the authorities inspect the ship.
News
HNLMS GRONINGEN
The U.S. Coast Guard, Royal Netherlands Navy and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard suspended a search for three suspected smugglers who went overboard during the pursuit of a non-compliant vessel suspected of smuggling illicit narcotics in the Caribbean Sea, June 4, 2024. In the early morning hours, a Royal Netherlands Navy ship with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment deployed for a counter drug patrol identified a vessel suspected of smuggling narcotics in international waters. The vessel failed to stop when signaled and the smuggling vessel operator instead increased speed and changed direction toward the Dutch pursuit boat, called a fast-raiding interception and special forces craft (FRISC). The FRISC boat crew, consisting of Dutch and U.S. Coast Guard boarding team members, discharged their weapons at the go-fast vessel in self-defense and defense of others in response to the life-threatening situation. The go-fast vessel caught fire and sank, and three suspected smugglers went overboard into the water and were not recovered. There were no reported injuries to the combined law enforcement team members. Assets and crews involved in the search efforts included: - Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS 'Groningen'; - Royal Netherlands Navy ship HNLMS 'Pelikaan'; - U.S. Coast Guard helicopter; - Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied helicopter; - Kustwacht Caribisch Gebied cutter 'Jaguar'.
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.
RIDENS
On June 6, 2024, two migrant boats in difficulty in the Strait of Pas de Calais were reported to CROSS Gris Nez. At the end of the night, a migrant boat set sail in the Calais sector The CROSS deployed the “Ridens” to relocate it and check the situation on site. Once in the area, the "Ridens" noticed that the boat was adrift and heavily loaded with 74 people on board. Initially, 18 people requested assistance and were taken care of on board the 'Ridens'. Some time later, the precarious boat still failed to get underway, and the 56 remaining castaways were also rescued by the 'Ridens'. The castaways were dropped off at the dock in the port of Dunkirk. Early on the morning, another migrant boat shipwrecked in the middle of the Pas de Calais Strait, in the British sector. The MRCC of Dover called on several British resources which collected more than 80 shipwrecked people before depositing them at the dock in Dover. The CROSS Gris Nez engages in parallel the 'Abeille Normandie' and the EMSA drone based at the CROSS as reinforcement. After several hours on site, no drifting bodies were observed in this area.
SALVAMAR ADHARA
On the night of June 6, the 'Salvamar Adhara' was mobilized by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo to a migrant boat eignt nautical miles southsoutheast of La Restinga (El Hierro). The lifeboat escorted the boat port. On board were 108 sub-Saharan people, among them 72 men, 21 women and 15 minors. The castaaways were cared for by health and safety devices once they had arrived in La Restinga. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1798748953514778932
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.
PILOT MECHTA
Explosions rocked the temporarily occupied Kerch, near the Crimean Bridge, overnight on May 30, 2024. Four Russian KS-701 Tunets boats were allegedly hit, destroying two by Ukrainian Magura V5 naval drones. The Ukraine could have hit up to seven enemy ship. Besides the ferries 'Conroe Trader' and 'Avangard ferries', the Mechta also sank in the attack. Already on May 19 Ukraine's Defense Forces destroyed the project 266-M trawler 'Kovrove' of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and sank the missile ship Tsiklon missile ship on May 19. With this, one-third of Russia's Black Sea Fleet have been destroyed. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/russia-has-now-lost-one-third-of-its-black-sea-fleet-after-ukraine-sinks-ship-with-ua-made-magura-sea-drones/ar-BB1nJMAD
SALVAMAR ALCYONE
On June 6 the 'Salvamar Alcyone' was mobilized by the CCS Bilbao of Salvamento Marítimo to assist the motor boat 'Mari Jose', which had been disabled and adrift with one person on board in the area of the Santoña estuary. The boat was taken in tow and safely pulled to Laredo. Photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1798794067687641285
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.