Tag: life jacket

Search for yet another fishing vessel crew member called off near Mossel Bay; condolences extended to Namibian family: SAMSA

Pretoria: 02 May 2024

The Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Cape Town based Centre for Sea Watch & Response (CSW&R) has extended its condolences to the Namibian family of a fisherman who reportedly went overboard a fishing vessel and presumed dead in South African sea waters on Monday this week.

The sorrowful statement by MRCC Cape Town came with confirmation on Wednesday that a day and night search for the seafarer had been abandoned, with little or no hope of his recovery.

According to the MRCC Cape Town, this was a tragic end to yet another incident in this south-western ocean region of South Africa where, in a space of two weeks, yet another fisher disappeared into the ocean after reportedly falling overboard a fishing vessel.

In an earlier incident on or about 19 April 2024, a skipper of a rigid-hulled inflatable boat (RHIB)was confirmed to have passed away after the watercraft in which he was sailing along with two (2) others, reportedly capsized after it was hit by a huge wave at sea in a location of approximately 1.5 nautical miles south of Oliphantsbospunt in the Western Cape.

Shortly after that incident, on 26 April 2024, another fishing vessel, named FV Oceana Amethyst, with 22 crew members onboard, also reportedly experienced problems while out at sea in a location of approximately 20 nautical miles west north- west of Slangkoppunt also in the Western Cape. such that it sank almost immediately due to water intake that reportedly started sipping through its engine room. Fortunately, during that incident, all 22 crew members were rescued on time.

Regarding the latest incident involving the Namibian fisherman, the MRCC said on Tuesday that the casualty occurred on Sunday, 28 April 2024 and shortly after which efforts also involving other nearby vessles, were made to assist the crew of the FV SEAWIN DIAMOND, while out at sea in an ocean location of approximately 142 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay.

“MRCC Cape Town was notified at 22:41 on 28 April by Telkom Maritime Radio of a Man Overboard (MOB) reported by the FV SEAWIN DIAMOND. The vessels position was reported to be approximately 142 NM South from Mossel Bay,” said the MRCC on Wednesday.

It said: “Whilst the vessel was busy setting fishing gear, the captain was alerted by the crew of the MOB incident and a MOB Marker buoy was deployed.

“The Namibian citizen was last seen wearing oil skin and boots but not a life jacket. The casualty vessel tracked the marker buoy in an effort to find the person in water (PIW). An observation of something green, presumed to be an oil skin, was seen disappearing under water but it could not be confirmed to be the PIW.

“A MAYDAY Relay was issued by MRCC Cape Town through Telkom Maritime Radio wherein vessels were requested to divert and render assistance in search of the PIW. The FV BLUEBELL was requested to divert to the reported incident from a position 67NM to the West.

“MRCC Cape Town developed a search area, based on the environmental factors and the time it would take the BLUEBELL to arrive at the incident location, and assigned a relevant search pattern.

“The Search Action Plan was communicated to the BLUEBELL, and it conducted a search along the drift track of the MOB buoy while proceeding to the assigned commence search point. MRCC Cape Town was notified by sunset on 29 April that the BLUEBELL and the SEAWIN DIAMOND had completed their search assignments, with MRCC Cape Town issuing revised search instructions to both vessels in preparation for a nighttime search.

“The nighttime search efforts had to be abandoned due to the lack of night search capabilities of both fishing vessels. MRCC Cape Town requested the frequency of the MAYDAY Relay broadcasted by Telkom Maritime Radio to be increased in the hope that additional resources shall respond.

“With no response to the MAYDAY Relay by 06:00 on 30 April 2024, the distress message was downscaled to an urgency message notifying vessels of the probable search area wherein sightings relating to the missing crewman could be made.

“Unfortunately, by 18:00 on 30 April 2024, with no additional information or sighting reports, all SAR efforts were cancelled with the missing person presumed drowned,” reported the MRCC Cape Town.

The centre added: “MRCC Cape Town expresses condolences to the family and friends of the missing crew member.”

End

A search for a seafarer reportedly gone overboard a trade vessel in Indian Ocean continues: SAMSA.

Photo image, courtesy of Marine Traffic website.

Pretoria: 16 April 2024

A desperate sea search for a seafarer believed to have gone overboard off a trade vessel in the Mozambique channel continued overnight on Monday, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported on Tuesday.

According to the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) based at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch and Response in Cape Town, the search for the seafarer, a crew member of a bulk carrier named KAVO PERDIKA, ensued early on Monday after the vessel reported the crew member as missing and suspected to have gone overboard.

Shortly thereafter, two other vessels sailing in the vicinity were summoned for assistance and soon joined the search, but without success, and had since been released to continue with their respective journeys, while the casualty vessels remains in search of the crew member.

Said SAMSA: “MRCC Cape Town was notified by Telkom Maritime Radio around 10am of a Man Overboard (MOB) distress alert received from the Bulk Carrier KAVO PERDIKA and that the MV MEGHNA PRESTIGE was assisting with search efforts.

“The vessel was reported to be in a position approximately 300km north-east from Inhambane in the Mozambican channel. It was reported to MRCC Cape Town that the 37-year-old Ukrainian was last seen around 5am, not wearing a life jacket. Shortly thereafter only his slippers and cigarettes were found where he was last seen.

“A MAYDAY Relay, being a RCC request for immediate SAR assistance, was issued on the request of MRCC Cape Town through Telkom Maritime Services.

“The casualty vessel, KAVO PERDIKA, had reverted back to the position where it was reported to the captain, that the crewman was missing. This position, being approximately 300km north-east from Inhambane in the Mozambican channel, was approximately three (3) hours’s sailing from the position where the crewman was last seen.”

The MRCC said due to the MAYDAY Relay, the MV UMM AL AMAD, responded and diverted to assist in the search efforts.

“After evaluating the facts, factors, possibilities, and probabilities, considering the environmental factors of south-easterly winds at approximately 40km/h, a south-south-easterly sea swell of up to 3m and a strong south-westerly sea current, search patterns were assigned to three (3) different search craft.

“By sunset today (Monday), all the craft had completed their assigned search patterns without the crewman being found. The casualty vessel KAVO PERDIKA, had been given another search pattern whilst the UMM AL AMAD and the MEGHNA PRESTIGE were released by the SAR Mission Coordinator to continue with normal operations.

“The SAR response shall be evaluated when the KAVO PERDIKA completed the latest search pattern. MRCC Cape Town requested an urgency message requesting vessels to recover and report the crewman if sighted along the predicted search track. This urgency message shall remain affective until 16:00 after which all search efforts shall be discontinued, pending additional information to motive the continuing of the search efforts.”

According to SAMSA, the MRCC Cape Town having also noted the proximity of the sea area of the incident to neighbouring Mozambique, “…. attempted to hand over the Search and Rescue coordination for the MOB to MRCC Maputo without success.

“Thus, MRCC Cape Town continued coordinating the SAR response as a Regional MRCC South Africa aligned with the multi-lateral SAR agreement.”

End.