The 25 crew members of the 'MSC Aries' were safe, the shipping company MSC said on April 17, adding that discussions with Iranian authorities were in progress to secure their earliest release. They were also working with the Iranian authorities to have the cargo discharged. The International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), the leading seafarers' union, said on April 17 that their priority was the welfare and safety of the seafarers onboard and has been in touch with family of the crew, who have reported that they were safe and being treated reasonably. The ITF continued to call on the Iranian authorities to urgently release the crew and the vessel.
News
BAQUEIRO
On April 16, 2024, at aroudn 3 p.m. the 'Baqueiro' suffereded engine trouble and was towed into Castletownbere by the Spanish hospital ship 'Esperanza del Mar' (IMO: 9220536), which was habitually in the vicinity of the Spanish fishing fleet and stepped in to offer assistance. The towing began 120 miles off the Irish southwest coast, and both vessels were due to arrive in Castletownbere on April 17.
LEVIATHAN
On April 10, 2024, at 4.25 p.m. the 'Leviathan', with three crew members on board, had to be towed after being adrift due to an interaction with orcas five miles northwest of the Sisargas Islands (A Coruña). The crew raised the alarm and requested assistance. They detailed that they no longer saw the orcas. Salvamento Marítimo mobilized a Red Cross boat that took them to Malpica de Bergantiños.
DISNEY FANTASY
The USCG successfully evacuated a pregnant passenger from the 'Disney Fantasy' on April 15, 2024, in a long-distance operation 180 milesnorthwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, while the ship was en route from Port Canaveral to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The 35 years old woman of US nationality, had experienced health complications that required a higher level of medical care ashore. The evacuation was carried out by a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft. Once theys arrived, the Jayhawk aircrew deployed a rescue swimmer, while the Ocean Sentry monitored the conditions and provided support. The woman and the cruise ship doctor were successfully hoisted aboard the aircraft and then transported first to the Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, then taken by local emergency personnel to a nearby hospital. The 'Disney Fantasy' was sailing a 7-night Eastern Caribbean itinerary and was northwest of Aguadilla on Puerto Rico’s northwestern coast at the time of the evacuation. Report with photos and video: https://www.cruisehive.com/coast-guard-makes-long-distance-evacuation-from-disney-cruise-ship/128957 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bz0KNCs7b5k
VLADIMIR LATYSHEV
A company is demanding €600,000 from the owner of the 'Vladimir Latyshev', which has been detained in Saint-Malo on March 1, 2022, after the start of the Russian war in Ukraine. The ship was to deliver steel coils to Algiers. On April 16, 2024, the Saint-Malo commercial court had to resolve the financial dispute between the buyer of the goods transported by the ship at the time of its immobilization and two Russian companies, the owner and the operator.
FRANCISCO Y CATA
The 'Francisco y Cata' suffered an engine failure and went adrift three nautical miles from the mouth of the Rota marina on April 16, 2024, and requested towing assistance. The CCS Cádiz of Salvamnto Marítimo mobilized the SAR vessel 'Salvamar Suhail', which safely pulled the boat to Rota. Report with photos: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1780308539812073907
T165
The INS 'Talwar-F40', which was recently operating in support of the Canadian-led Combined Task Force (CTF) 150, conducted its first interdiction of illicit narcotics as a member of Combined Maritime Forces, seizing 940 kg of drugs in the Arabian Sea on April 13, 2024. The frigate crew seized 453 kg of methamphetamines, 416 kg of hash and 71 kg of heroin from a dhow as part of Focused Operation Crimson Barracuda. The seizure was the f4th of the operation in deterring and disrupting criminal and terrorist activities at sea. Crimson Barracuda, which concluded on April 15, focused on countering terrorist and criminal organizations’ use of the high seas to conduct smuggling operations in the Western Indian Ocean region.
STENA GERMANICA
Several electrical faults in the engine room probably caused a crew member on the 'Stena Germanica' to die while on duty. That was the conclusion of a report on the incident from the National Accident Commission. On June 27, 2022, the ship engineer died on board the ferry, en route from Gothenburg to Kiel. The person was found lifeless next to a ballast pump in the boiler room. Although a doctor and a nurse among the passengers assisted the crew during the rescue effort, his life could not be saved.
DON INDA
On April 17, 2024, at 8 a.m. Salvamento Marítimo was alerted after the skipper of a JPK 9.60 yacht, the 63 year old veteranian Philippe Benoiton, whio was participatin in the 'Saliling Race Cap Martinique', and had left from La Trinité-sur-Mer (France) bound for Fort-de-France (Martinique). He went missing west of Cape Finisterre in strong northwestern winds in the night of April 16. The regatta coordinator informed that they had no news of a participating sailboat, with a reduced course and speed as they were able to discover from its GPS. They couldn't contact him. The double-handed competitors Yann Gindre and Michel Foucart aboard the 'L'Opale - A Chacun son Everest' finally found the yacht,at 7:40 a.m., without being able to confirm the sailor's presence aboard. The CCS Fisterra coordinated the SAR operation with the 'Don Inda' and the helicopters Helimer 401, Helimer 402,Pesca 1 and the Sasemar 102 plane. At 9.19 a.m. the auxiliary boat of the 'Don Inda' located the sailboat and verified that the single crew member was not on board. The engine was running and the tiller was broken. The yacht was towed to the Cee Port in A Coruña. The body of the missing person was located five nautical miles southwest of Cabo Fisterra by the Pesca I helicopter. it waa recovered and transoorted to the Vigo airport, where the National Police was waiting. The response was coordinated by the RCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Fisterra. Reports with photos: https://www.elidealgallego.com/articulo/a-coruna/helimer-coruna-une-busqueda-regatista-desaparecido-alta-mar-4799426 https://www.boatnews.com/story/45745/cap-martinique-transatlantic-race-mourns-death-of-competitor
DALI
The fourth of six victims recovered on April 14 after the collapse of the Francis Scott Key bridge has been identified by the Mexican consular authorities as Carlos Daniel Hernández. The Unified Command had reported the discovery of the body, which was transferred to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and identified on April 15. Rescue teams had located what they believed was one of the vehicles of the missing construction workers, so they immediately notified the Maryland State Police. With the help of the FBI and the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the state police responded and found evidence that, according to the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bárcena, corresponded to Carlos Daniel Hernández.
LAYAR ANGGUN 8
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was notified on April 16, 2024, of a fire aboard the 'Layar Tanggun 8' in Singapore territorial waters off Pedra Branca. All 12 crew members have been safely recovered by a Singapore Police Coast Guard craft and were transported to Singapore.. A firefighting vessel from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and MPA patrol craft, including tugs, were mobilized to combat the fire. No pollution was reported, and there was no immediate risk to navigational safety. The MPA was issuing regular navigational broadcasts for passing vessels to keep clear of the vicinity of the burning ship.
MSC ARIES
After Britain's Merchant Shipping Authority UKMTO announced that the 'MSC Aries' was seized near the Strait of Hormuz between the United Arab Emirates and Iran, about 50 nautical miles northeast of the port city of Fujairah, the British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has called on Iran to release the detained ship. He called the seizure unacceptable and a blatant violation of international law, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of the ship and crew. The Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari threatened consequences if Iran decided to escalate further. Expert Hasan Alhasan from the International Institute for Strategic Studies speculated that the seizure could be in retaliation for the attack on the consulate in Damascus in order to save face without causing a major escalation.
SALVAMAR ADHARA
Two rescue missions took place in the night from April 16-17. The 'Salvamar Izar' assisted a boat with 72 people on board, among them 60 men and 12 women, from a boat 53 nautical miles southwest of Gran Tarajal. They were accompanied to this port, where they arrived on April 17 at 5:50 a.m. The 'Salvamar Adhara' accompanies a boat with 61 people on board, among them 58 men and three women, which was located seven nautical miles south of Restinga, to this port. Photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1780488524057161944
MSC ARIES
Portugal’s Foreign Ministry summoned Iran’s Ambassador on April 16 to condemn the attack on Israel by Tehran on April 13 and to demand the immediate release of the “MSC Aries”. The Ministry said in a statement after the meeting that it “will await the results of this formal measure and evaluate any additional steps, depending on those”. Portugal had demanded the release of the crew “as explanations provided so far have not been considered consistent”,. Tehran said on April 15 that the ship was seized in the Strait of Hormuz for “violating maritime laws”. MSC, which operates the 'MSC Aries', wass working “with the relevant authorities” for the vessel’s safe return and the well-being of its 25 crew members. MSC leases the Aries from Gortal Shipping, an affiliate of Zodiac Maritime. Zodiac is partly owned by Israeli businessman, Eyal Ofer.
DEO-JUVANTE
A man was injured in the morning of April 17, 2024, at aroudn 9 a.m. after he fell into the water fromthe 'Deo Juvante' in the port of the IJsseloog sludge depot on the Ketelmeer. The KNRM lifeboats from the Urk staation rushed to the scene of the accident. The man had already been pulled out of the water. After providing first aid,hen was taken to the KNRM Urk boathouse by a Coastguard helicopter. An ambulance was waiting there to take him to the hospital. It is not known what caused the man to fall from the ship. Report with photos: https://www.dedrontenaar.nl/nieuws/112/305890/man-gewond-na-val-van-schip-op-het-ketelmeer
SALVAMAR SPICA
Te pleasure boat 'Nessaru' with two people on board suffered an engine failure on April 17 and requested a tow since it cannot find a private trailer. It was adrift 10 nautical miles southest of Almería. The CCS Almería of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the 'Salvamar Spica', which pulled the boat to the dock of the Club de Mar de Almería. Photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1780579996681077163
ABDULLAH
The 'Abdullah', which was released by Somali pirates on April 14 at 3 a.m. (Bangladesh Time) after a payment of US$5 million ransom, was still crossing through the high-risk area of piracy in the Indian Ocean, amid tight security and escort by warships of the European Union (EU). The vessel sailed 386 nautical miles off the Somali Coast until the morning of April 16, and crossing the high-risk area took until April 17. The ship was expected to reach the Al Hamriyah Port by the morning of April 22 to deliver its cargo of 55.000 tons coal from Maputo. The health and mental condition of the crew members were fine, and there was sufficient stock of food and water aboard the vessel, according to the ship’s captain. Different security measures have been taken onboard the ship to ward off any further untoward incidents. Two warships of the EU’s Operation ATALANTA were escorting the ship. The razor wire has been raised and the high-pressure fire hose rigged on the deck, citadel, emergency fire pump and sound signal have been kept ready and the doors and access to all accommodation and engine room were kept closed as part of precautions.
MV KARAR
A police officer who has been detained in Vigo and removed for possible links to drug trafficking in connection with the seizure of the 'Karar', will finally testify in the trial. The defenses, after his arrest in March, requested that he not testify for his accusations and urged Internal Affairs to clarify whether it investigated the mysterious lack of 60 kilos of cocaine among the 3,824 kilos seized from the tug. The Pontevedra Court has resolved that he will testify as he is the main witness of the National Police. The trial begins on April 17, 2024, in Vigo. The chief inspector of the National Police who served as liaison for the Ministry of the Interior in Colombia until March, was arrested in Vigo last month.
KBV 003
Divers from the Swedish Coast Guard have, in connection with an exercise, dived on the seabed in the Pukavik Bay to find any oil which could have leaked from the the grounding of the roro ferry 'Marco Polo' in Oct 2023. So far no oil has been found. The descended from the 'KBV 003-Amfitrite' in the area on three occasions. The locations that have been relevant have been selected based on received information about suspected oil finds. Some places have been designated by the County Administrative Board in Blekinge County. Visibility below the surface has varied from good to non-existent. The oil that leaked from the 'Marco Polo' was of a type that under certain conditions sinks below the surface, can drift with currents or completely sink and settle to the bottom. When the temperature in the sea rises, there is the possibility that it will rise to the surface again or reach the shore. Any oil finds are reported to the municipality concerned and to the Norwegian Maritime and Water Authority. Report with photo: https://www.kustbevakningen.se/nyheter/resultatlosa-dykningar-efter-olja-i-pukaviksbukten/
SALVAMAR IZAR
Two rescue missions took place in the night from April 16-17. The 'Salvamar Izar' assisted a boat with 72 people on board, among them 60 men and 12 women, from a boat 53 nautical miles southwest of Gran Tarajal. They were accompanied to this port, where they arrived on April 17 at 5:50 a.m. The 'Salvamar Adhara' accompanies a boat with 61 people on board, among them 58 men and three women, which was located seven nautical miles south of Restinga, to this port. Photo: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1780488524057161944