The MV Serenity Diva one of whose crew members reportedly fell overboard on the Indian Ocean south east of Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape province. The search for the seafarer is currently underway, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA). (Photo: Supplied)
Pretoria: 19 August 2024
A search is currently underway for a seafarer who reportedly fell overboard a Liberian flagged cargo vessel, the MV Serenity Diva, 44 miles south of Cape Recife in the Eastern Cape on Monday, reports the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA).
In a brief statement, the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) located in the Cape Town based SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch & Response, said that the incident was raised by the vessel’s crew at about 3am (local time) through a distress call logged by Telkom Maritime.
“According to Telkom Maritime Radio, the vessel’s captain was not sure when the crewman went missing except that the crewman was last seen with blue overalls on. It was not clear if he also had a life-jacket on,” said the MRCC Cape Town.
In response, the MRCC identified two vessels, the MV Cedrice Oldendorff and MV Hoanh Son to assist in the search. A request to Telkom Maritime Radio was also made to broadcast a MayDay relay.
Further updates on the incident will released as and when available, said SAMSA.
Image of the Chinese bulk carrier, M/V Rui Ming involved in a search for one of its crew members believed to have fell overboard in the Indian Ocean in the early hours of Friday. (Photo supplied)
Pretoria: 10 May 2024
UPDATE: 21h00
The search for a seafarer reported to have gone overboard a Chinese bulk carrier some 345 nautical miles in the Indian Ocean, south east of Durban, South Africa; has been called off, the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) Cape Town confirmed late on Friday.
This was after a few vessels joined the Chinese bulk carrier, the M/V Rui Ming from which the seafarer reportedly gone overboard was a crew member, assisted with the search to no avail, said the MRCC Cape Town.
Late afternoon on Friday, the MRCC said: “MRCC Cape Town had released all the other vessels, except the MAERSK TAIKUNG, to continue with normal sailing operations after sunset in the search area at approximately 16:30.
“A revised track search plan was provided to the MAERSK TAIKUNG and it was completed by approximately 20:00. Unfortunately, the crewman that had gone overboard was not found.
“MRCC Cape Town released the MAERSK TAIKUNG to continue with normal sailing operations. Our thanks to the vessels that had responded to assist, and to Telkom Maritime Radio for their communication assistance.
” The SAR case is closed.’
End
A search is currently underway in the Indian Ocean for a seafarer reportedly gone overboard at a location approximately 345 nautical miles south east of the city of Durban, South Africa, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) has reported.
In a report, the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) based at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch & Response) in Cape Town said the incident came to light early morning on Friday after the interception of a distress call from a Chinese bulk carrier, the M/V Rui Ming; requesting assistance with a search for one of its crew members believed to have gone overboard.
“The South African Search and Rescue Organization’s Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre based in Cape Town (MRCC Cape Town) was notified by Telkom Maritime Radio around 06:00 on 10 May 2024 of a Man Overboard (MOB) reported by the Bulk Carrier RUI NING 21.
“It was established that the person was last seen up to 04 hours before the MOB was reported and it could not be confirmed that he was wearing a life jacket.
“The search area was defined as the track between the position of where the MOB was reported, approximately 665km east-south-east from Durban, and the estimated position of where the person was last seen given that the person could have gone overboard anywhere along that track.
“A request for vessel to divert and assist in the search for the person in water (PIW) was issued by Telkom Maritime Radio as requested by MRCC Cape Town. The motor vessels (MV) MAERSK TAIKUNG and CMA CGM GALAPGOS were requested to divert to search area. The car carrier RORO BESS, in response to the MAYDAY Relay, notified the MRCC that it had diverted to the search and was ready to assist.
“MRCC Cape Town assigned track-line search patterns to each of the four (4) vessels. The weather is forecasted to be wind Northerly up to 24km/h and sea swell of up to 2.5m.
“At present, no sighting of the PIW was reported, and the MRCC is investigating alternate search efforts,” said the MRCC Cape Town.
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.”
