Tag: Telkom Maritime Radio Services

Search for fishing vessel crewman gone overboard off Lamberts Bay called off: SAMSA

(Photo supplied)

Pretoria: 05 April 2024

The circumstances under which a South African fishing vessel crewman disappeared after reportedly going overboard while at sea off Lamberts Bay in the Western Cape will remain under scrutiny even as the search for the crewman has been called, so said the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) on Friday.

According to SAMSA, information about the incident surfaced early Thursday after the fishing vessel, FV Hesko, issued a call for assistance reportedly due to one of its crewmen having fallen overboard at a location at sea approximately 80 kilometres west of Lamberts Bay in the Atlantic Ocean.

South Africa’s Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch & Response in Cape Town, working in conjunction with Telkom Maritime Radio (TMR) was informed that the FV Hesko  – a 31 meter vessel – reported a man overboard at about 02h14 on Thursday morning.

The MRCC immediately initiated an alert call to all other vessels in the area to possibly render assistance to the casualty vessel, and two – the FV Samrock and the FV Atlantic Rose – were the first responders, with a third, the FV Lisa Ann also due to join the search and rescue during the course of the day, on Thursday.

The MRCC said: “We were informed that the incident occurred while the crew was busy working on the nets on the deck and the crewman who reportedly fell overboard had slipped.

“The report said he was wearing a life jacket and had been initially spotted floating face down in water after the fall overboard. One of the crew members reportedly jumped into the water in an attempt to recover the casualty, but unfortunately the casualty disappeared under water.”

“The search had continued for a while through to Thursday morning but later, the casualty vessel and those assisting with the search reported that they were released from the search for the person in the water.

“With all information at its hands, MRCC Cape Town having considered the matter, decided to stand down. That notwithstanding, a ‘PAN PAN’ broadcast was made to all vessels in the vicinity until 11h00 to be on the lookout for a lifejacket sighting and report such to the MRCC when made,” said SAMSA.

SAMSA further confirmed that the incident remains under investigation.

(SAMSA file photo)

Meanwhile, in Cape Town on Friday, SAMSA confirmed yet another shipping incident at the port of Cape Town wherein two ships collided, but without causing injuries to people.

SAMSA said in Pretoria on Friday: “The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) can confirm an incident involving the Ambience Cruise Ship and the Grey Fox Cargo Ship at the Cape Town Harbour earlier today. The incident occurred during berthing operations when the Ambience made contact with another vessel and the quay.

“We are relieved to confirm that there have been no injuries because of this incident. Furthermore, there is no risk to the environment, nor to the safety of the vessel or the port. The Ambience sustained minor damages.

“The Port Authority is actively managing the situation, and a SAMSA surveyor is currently on-site conducting a thorough assessment to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and to evaluate the extent of the damage.”

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IMO/ICAO joint working group on SAR successfully concludes inaugural SA meeting in Cape Town: SAMSA

Cape Town: 15 November 2023.

Scores of international delegates to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Joint Working Group on Search and Rescue (IMO/ICAO JWG) held in Cape Town wrapped up their meeting on Friday with several recommendations made for the consideration of the said parent organizations, to strengthen global collaboration on various initiatives to bolster search and rescue in especially maritime countries.

The ICAO/IMO Joint Working Group on Harmonization of Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue is described as a technical experts’ working group that meets every year, since its inception in 1963, to discuss technical SAR related matters and make proposals to the said IMO/ICAO through their relevant sub- committees.

This expert working group is made up of 16 members comprising eight (8) maritime SAR experts and an equal number of aeronautical SAR experts. Also attending, however, were several observers. Hosted by the Department of Transport’s SASAR Directorate, the gathering of the IMO/ICAO JWG in Cape Town, South Africa over five days – the 30th session for the group, and more significantly, the first of its kind on African soil – began on Monday and ended on Friday last week.

Attendees comprised representatives from about 24 countries, including Australia, Sweden, Angola, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, United States America, Russian Federation, Greece, Chile, Turkey, China, Canada, France, Ireland, Singapore, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, Liberia, Argentina, Estonia, Finland, Japan, Morocco, New Zealand, and Norway.

Also in the mix were some technical observers representing global institutions including the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), the COSPAS SARSAT, IRIDIUM, International Maritime Satellites Organization (IMSO) as well as Inmarsat.

Supporting the host – Department of Transport’s SASAR Directorate  – were various domestic institutions involved in SAR, among them being the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Centre for Sea Watch & Response located Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC), the Aeronautical Rescue Coordinating Centre (ARCC), and Telkom Maritime Radio Services.

South Africa’s Cape Town based MRCC formally established as a Regional MRCC for the Southern Africa region in 2007, is one of five African regional MRCC’s rendering essential support to SAR operations and training, and described it as important that the 30th session of the IMO/ICAO JWG was being held locally for the first time.

It said the initiatives was timely in terms of its aims to support these RMRCC’s in executing their responsibilities in their respective SAR areas of responsibility.

According to the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) of which South Africa is a member, among key issues for discussion at the Cape Town weeklong session included results of a survey conducted by the IMRF on behalf of the IMO, on African States’ Maritime Search and Rescue Status completed in March. The objectives of the survey were reportedly to:

  • help provide a clear picture of the status of the Global SAR Plan in Africa, State by State; clarify priorities and identify focus regions for future IMO Technical Cooperation work on developing SAR capability.
  • provide a database on which future SAR development work can be based; improve ratification of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR Convention); and
  • improve input to IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) Global SAR Plan module.

Also coming under focus would be various decisions recently undertaken on a variety of issues including conventions, plans, manuals and other documents affecting SAR, SAR operational principles, procedures and techniques, as well as SAR system administration, organization and implementation methods.

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