Tag: place of refuge

Crew members of casualty fishing vessel, MFV Armana safely back in Cape Town; but vessel missing and presumed sunken: SAMSA

The casualty fishing vessel, MFV Armana photographed while drifting after it was abandoned by its 20 member crew on discovery of fire on board on Sunday and before it vanished during the early hours of Monday morning in an ocean location some 57 nautical miles south of Gansbaai in South Africa’s Western Cape province. (Photo: Supplied)

Cape Town: 14 October 2024

Twenty crew members of a casualty fishing vessel abandoned at sea on Sunday after it caught fire arrived safely and were disembarked in Cape on Sunday night, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed on Monday.

However, a search for the vessel had since been called off on Monday afternoon after sight of her was lost after midnight on Sunday, and was now presumed sunken, reported SAMSA.

The fiery incident involving the 62 year old MVF Armana and which led to her abandonment by her crew after a fire onboard occurred early on Sunday (13 October 2024) while she was located approximately 60 Nautical Miles offshore from Gansbaai.

Crew members of the casualty MFV Armana being rescued on Sunday after their fishing vessel had caught fire and had to be abandoned. They arrived safely in Cape Town on Sunday evening. (Photo: Supplied)

In a statement, SAMSA said: “The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) herewith confirms the safe arrival and disembarkation of all 20 crew members of the abandoned fishing vessel, MFV Armana, at the port of Cape Town last night, as well as the discontinuation of a search for the vessel after sight was lost of it early on Monday.

“The 20 member crew of the vessel arrived safely at 19h45 (local time) in Cape Town on Sunday night (13 October) aboard the MFV Ludwani, another of the Sea Harvest Group’s vessels, which had been mobilised to assist with the rescue after the crew of the MFV Armana had to abandon the fishing vessel due to a fire on board.

“Soon after the crew had abandoned the vessel and rescued by the MFV Ludwani, with assistance coordinated by the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch and Response in Cape Town, measures were taken to both monitor the MFV Armana where it had initially remained adrift at a location approximately 57 Nautical Miles south of Gansbaai, as well as to arrange salvage of the MVF Armana.

“These measures involved the deployment of the MFV Harvest Saldanha for monitoring, as well as the dispatch of the Emergency Towing Vessel (ETV) Umkhuseli, to tow the stricken vessel to a safe place of refuge.

“However, regrettably, sight was eventually lost of the MVF Armana in the early hours of Monday (14 October 2024). A search for the vessel was conducted for several hours early Monday without success, and a decision was taken to call it off at 13h00 on Monday as the vessel is now presumed sunk,” said SAMSA.  

SAMSA added that a safety navigational warning was issued to all vessels located in or near the last known ocean position of the casualty fishing vessel, as well as to report any sightings of the MFV Armana. SAMSA said an Incident Management Team remain in constant contact with the owners and all parties concerned.

SAMSA confirmed that it will be investigating the cause of the fire on the casualty fishing vessel, MFV Armana.

Meanwhile, SAMSA further said it had taken note of the Minister of Transport, Ms Barbara Creecy’s directive to the entity on Sunday to conduct an urgent safety inspections of all commercial fishing vessels operating in South African waters.

“SAMSA acknowledges and has taken note of the Minister of Transport, Ms Barbara Creecy’s directive to SAMSA on Sunday to implement a program to develop a more comprehensive fishing vessel safety improvement plan and is committed to work with all fishing industry stakeholders to ensure that we achieve this end goal,” said SAMSA.

End.

15 Crew members of off-shore supply vessel on fire, successfully rescued off South Africa’s southern sea: SAMSA

Pretoria: 12 September 2024

A total 15-member crew were successfully rescued off South Africa’s southern Cape seas on Thursday afternoon after their vessel, an offshore supply vessel caught on fire and had to be abandoned, according to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) on Thursday.

The OSV, named the AM PRIDE and measuring 66.6 meters long and 16 meters wide, sailing under the flag of Marshall Island, reportedly caught on fire early on Thursday, in an ocean area approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape province.

According to SAMSA, the casualty vessel’s dangerous situation surfaced at about 10.30am on Thursday after the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch and Response in Cape Town received a call from the Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA), advising that the MV AM Pride had fire onboard, close to a FA Platform, and required immediate assistance.

PetroSA’s report to the MRCC at the time, said the statement; was that the fire was located in the ship’s messroom and that it was out of control. Weather conditions prevailing in the area at the time were described as ‘poor’ to ‘bad’ as characterised by a south easterly wind gusting at up to 30 knots per hour, and a swell of between 3.5-5 meters, with a visibility of just seven (7) nautical miles.

The immediate and primary concern was the rescue and evacuation of the 15-member crew onboard, said SAMSA.

Towards this goal, the MRCC said: “A MayDay relay was immediately requested via Telkom Maritime Services for vessels in the area to render assistance. Two vessels identified as in proximity with the casualty vessel, the MV Angelic Peace and MV Thunderbird requested to proceed to assist.”

Ultimately however, a PetroSA helicopter was sent through to assist and was able to retrieve the first group of eight (8) seafarers from a life-raft and onto the FA platform.

The helicopter, said SAMSA, next fetched the seven (7) remaining crew member on the life-raft who where then safely flown to George.

“They will be flown to Cape Town on Friday, joining the eight (8) others scheduled to spend the night on the FA platform prior to being transferred also to Cape Town on Friday morning.

In the meantime, an Emergency Towing Vessel, the Mkhuseli, from African Marine Solution (AMSOL) is on its way to rendezvous with the casualty vessel, scheduled for about 07.30am on Friday,” said SAMSA.

The Amsol owned ETV, according to SAMSA, will retrieve the casualty vessel to a place of refuge, as agreed with the owners.

End.