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Sea Search News

02 Oct 2023

Dongara Marine Awarded Large Patrol Vessel Contract

Source: Dongara Marine

Dongara Marine has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to build the Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's new large patrol vessel.The 24-meter fisheries patrol vessel will be built to a design from WA naval architecture firm Southerly Designs.The government is investing $13.7 million into the project to replace the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development's ageing PV Walcott.The new patrol vessel will have a longer fuel range to conduct extended voyages…

10 Aug 2022

Five More Migrants Lost at Sea from Capsized Makeshift Vessel off Florida

A cruise ship rescued one person and transferred the individual to Coast Guard crews after being found swimming off the Florida Keys, Aug. 5, 2022. The person's rustic vessel capsized approximately 14 miles off Sugarloaf Key. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Coast Guard Cutter Issac Mayo's crew)

The U.S. Coast Guard has called off its search for five migrants missing in waters off the Florida Keys since their makeshift vessel capsized on Friday, adding to the dozens lost at sea in attempted boat crossings from Cuba in recent months.The five who disappeared about 14 miles (23 km) south of Sugar Loaf Key brought to seven the toll of dead or presumed dead in Friday's accident, even as the Coast Guard on Tuesday repatriated another 43 Cubans intercepted elsewhere in the Keys…

31 Dec 2018

Ocean Infinity Joins Search for Lost Bulker

(Photo: Ocean Infinity)

U.S. based Ocean Infinity said it has been awarded a contract from the Government of South Korea to search for the wreckage of lost bulk carrier Stellar Daisy, which sank on on March 31, 2017, with 24 people on board.The Stellar Daisy was transporting iron ore from Brazil to China when it was lost in the South Atlantic Ocean, approximately 2,500 nautical miles due east of Uruguay.Ocean Infinity said it expects to commence search operations in January 2019 using its high-tech fleet of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).

30 Jan 2018

French Coastguard Searches for Quiksilver Boss Missing at Sea

The French coastguard on Tuesday searched for Pierre Agnes, the chief executive of U.S. surfwear retailer Boardriders Inc, after his 36-foot (10.97 m) sailboat was found washed up on the country's Atlantic coast. Rescuers were scouring the Bay of Biscay waters off Hossegor, a surfing resort from where the 54-year-old Agnes set sail early in the morning, the Landes prefecture said. Agnes sent a message to port authorities indicating that he was delaying his return because of thick fog. His beached boat was later found empty not far from Hossegor. "An air and sea search operation is underway," the Landes prefecture said in a statement, adding that two helicopters and two boats were involved in the rescue operation.

07 Dec 2017

Wreckage of USS Ward Found in the Philippines

Wheelhouse of the USS Ward (Photo courtesy of Paul G. Allen)

The U.S. Navy warship that famously fired the first American shot in World War II has been found resting on the seabed in Ormoc Bay near Ponson Island in the Philippines. The historic vessel USS Ward was discovered and documented by Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Paul G. Allen's expedition crew aboard Research Vessel (R/V) Petrel, who has now released video images just prior to the anniversary of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. At 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, December 7…

23 Aug 2017

Search Area Expanding for USS John S. McCain Sailors

The search for missing Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) continues in the South China Sea and within the ship itself. On Aug. 22, Adm. Scott Swift, commander, Pacific Fleet, announced that the remains of a number of the 10 missing John S. McCain Sailors were discovered within the ship. On Aug. 23, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps divers continue to search the ship, seeking to locate more of the missing Sailors. In addition, they are conducting inspections of the damage to inform repair plans. More divers will join the effort Aug. 24. At sea, search efforts are focused on an area east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore where John S. McCain was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC Aug. 21.

05 Jul 2017

Colombia Moves to Salvage Treasure from Spanish Shipwreck

Juan Manuel Santos (Photo: Juan David Tena - SIG)

Colombia is making progress towards salvaging a Spanish galleon carrying jewels and coins that sank more than 300 years ago, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Wednesday after receiving a proposal from an investor to bring it to the surface. The ship named San Jose, thought by historians to be carrying one of the largest unsalvaged maritime treasures, sank in 1708 near the historical Caribbean port of Cartagena, and its wreckage was located in 2015. "The discovery of this ship…

06 Dec 2015

Colombia to Build Museum showcasing Shipwreck Discovery

Colombia will build a museum to showcase artefacts found in the wreckage of a Spanish galleon discovered near the historic Caribbean port city of Cartagena, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Saturday. The San Jose, thought by historians to be laden with emeralds and precious coins, sank in 1708. It was part of the fleet of King Philip V, who fought the English during the War of Spanish Succession. "We will build a great museum here in Cartagena," Santos said on national television from Cartagena's naval base. "Without a doubt, without room for any doubt, we have found, 307 years after it sank, the San Jose galleon," Santos said. A team of international experts…

05 Dec 2015

Spanish Treasure Galleon San Jose Found - Colombia

Colombia has found the wreck of a Spanish galleon that sank off the coast of Cartagena and is thought to be laden with emeralds and gold and silver coins, President Juan Manuel Santos said on Friday. More details will be provided at a news conference on Saturday, Santos said from his Twitter account. The San Jose sank in 1708 in the Caribbean Sea close to the walled port city of Cartagena. It was part of the fleet of King Philip V as he fought the English during the War of Spanish Succession. "Great news! We have found the San Jose galleon. Tomorrow we will provide details at a press conference from Cartagena," Santos tweeted. The government's claim on Friday did not shed light on a legal wrangle with Sea Search Armada…

17 Nov 2015

NTSB: Sunken Cargo Ship El Faro "Black Box" Still Missing

El Faro (File photo: TOTE)

The video documentation of the cargo ship El Faro and the associated debris field has been completed but the vessel’s voyage data recorder was not located, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. “Over the years we’ve completed many investigations without the aid of recorders and other investigative tools,” said NTSB Chairman Christopher A. Hart. The 790-ft. ship went missing on Oct. 1 during Hurricane Joaquin and was located on Oct. 31 in about 15,000 feet of water in the vicinity of its last known position near Crooked Island, Bahamas.

29 Jun 2015

Maritime, Migration Heads Pledge Joint Action

Sekimizu (left) and Swing pledged to work together on a number of specific actions, including the establishment of an inter-agency platform for information sharing on unsafe mixed migration by sea and the dissemination of information material on the dangers of such migration, in collaboration with other interested agencies. (Photo: IMO)

The heads of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday, June 29 reaffirmed their commitment to urgently address the humanitarian crisis arising from the dramatic increase in unsafe mixed migration across the oceans and seas in recent times. IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu and IOM Director-General William L. Swing met at IMO Headquarters in London and observed a minute’s silence in honor of the thousands of migrants who have lost their lives on perilous journeys.

07 Apr 2015

China Likely to be Major Global Naval Power

Two analysts claimed yesterday that China is beefing up its credentials as a maritime force so that it can become a true superpower like the United States. According to prominent historian Wang Gungwu,  with the recent Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road proposals the country is setting up a maritime trading route and asserting claims in the South China Sea. “People talk about the US rebalancing towards Asia but it is just moving ships from the Atlantic to the Pacific. China is really rebalancing because it recognizes the importance of a balance between being a continental and naval power,” said Professor Wang said. “I found Professor Wang’s distinction between a maritime power and a continental power ...

05 Jan 2015

2nd 'Ghost Ship' Rescue Prompts EU Pledge on Migrants

A cargo ship abandoned by its crew with 359 Syrian refugees on board was towed ashore in Italy on Saturday in the second such rescue this week, prompting calls for stronger European Union action in the face of new tactics by human traffickers. The Ezadeen, a Sierra-Leone-flagged vessel that had set sail from Turkey, docked in the southern Italian port of Corigliano Calabro. The passengers, including 62 minors, were in good condition and were being transferred to immigration centres and foster homes across Italy, coastguard and police officials said. The decrepit vessel, licensed only to carry livestock, was strewn with steel containers, broken chairs, piles of garbage bags, empty gasoline tanks and scattered clothes and belongings.

27 Aug 2014

EU to Help Italy Cope with Boat Migrants

The European Commission said on Wednesday it would launch an EU version of Italy's sea rescue operation to help it deal with the droves of migrants crossing the Mediterranean in crowded boats from North Africa, something Italy has repeatedly called for. Europe's border control agency Frontex will take over the new operation, dubbed "Frontex Plus", by merging two existing ones and eventually it will replace Italy's costly mission to patrol the seas for boat migrants. "The aim is to put in place an enlarged Frontex Plus to complement what Italy has been doing," said Cecilia Malmstrom, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, on Wednesday. The civil war in Syria and breakdown of order in Libya have pushed the number of sea-borne arrivals in Italy to a record of more than 100…

29 Apr 2014

Search Suspended for Alleged Cruise Ship Jumper

U.S. Coast Guard crews have suspended their air and sea search for a 30-year-old man who reportedly jumped over the railing of the Bahamas Cruise Ship Celebration early Sunday morning, 27-miles east of Delray Beach, Florida. James Miller of Charleston, South Carolina reportedly jumped overboard early Sunday and Coast Guard crews have been searching for him since. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bluefin, an 87-foot patrol boat, homeported in Fort Pierce, Florida. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diamondback, an 87-foot patrol boat, homeported in Miami. A Coast Guard Station Lake Worth Inlet 45-foot Response Boat—Medium crew. An MH-65 rescue helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami. A HC-144 Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft from Coast Guard Air Station Miami.

10 May 2013

Search Halted for Two Missing Passengers from Carnival Spirit

Carnival Spirit arrives into Sydney Harbor. (Photo: Carnival Cruise Lines, Photographer credit: James Morgan)

The search for an Australian couple who went overboard Wednesday from the Carnival Spirit cruise ship has been called off, the Associated Press reported. The passengers, identified as Paul Rossington, 30, and Kristen Schroder, 26, went overboard in the waters off New South Wales, Australia. The couple was reported missing when the ship docked in Sydney on Thursday and have now been missing for more than two days. It was reported that railing over which the couple fell was two inches higher than industry safety regulations mandate…

10 May 2013

Australian Navy Assists in Search for Lost Cruise Passengers

HMAS Choules (Photo: Royal Australian Navy)

The Australian Navy ship HMAS Choules and her MRH 90 helicopter have been involved in the air and sea search for two people believed lost from the Carnival Line cruise ship Carnival Spirit off the New South Wales mid-north coast. HMAS Choules joined the search on Thursday afternoon as she was returning from North Queensland where she was conducting amphibious training exercises. The ship and her helicopter have now been released from the search which was co-ordinated by the New South Wales Water Police. Choules is now on her way to her home port in Sydney.

25 Apr 2013

Treasure Hunters File Another Suit Against Columbia

Sea Search Armada's (SSA) lawsuit against the Government of Colombia in U.S. District Court, Washington D.C. claims it interfered with SSA's legitimate treasure salvage operations. The galleon San Jose carried coins and precious metals mined and smelted in Peru, and valued by experts to between $4 billion and $17 billion. The ship was sunk outside Cartagena, Colombia in 1708. In 1980, a marine salvage operation was mounted by a group now owned by SSA with the permission and participation of the Colombian government (GOC). After discovering the San Jose wreck site and notifying the GOC, the Colombians reneged on their agreement to share proceeds of any recovered treasure. In 1984, the Colombian Parliament enacted a law eliminating SSA’s claims to its property.

15 Apr 2013

American Investors and Colombian Government Battle over $17 Billion Treasure Salvage

A group of investors sued the Colombian government for preventing American salvage group Sea Search Armada from recovering San Jose, a ship that sank in 1708, often referred to as the “Holy Grail of Shipwrecks.” With numerous court rulings throughout the years, the battle has lasted since 1979. In a case filed March 29 with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), a group of American investors claimed the government of Colombia violated their human rights by preventing them from salvaging their jointly owned property, a Spanish galleon sunk in 800 feet of water near Cartagena, Colombia. The investment group, named Sea Search Armada (SSA), brought the suit after more than 20 years of various legal efforts to affirm SSA’s initial agreement with Colombia.

01 Apr 2013

Enormous Sunken Treasure Claim Conceded, Thirty Years On

Government of Colombia lawyers concede salvage company Sea Search Armada to be rightful owner of 50% of treasure proceeds. Lawyers representing the Government of Colombia (GOC) admitted recently in a U.S. court that Sea Search Armada (SSA), engaged in a long-running suit with Colombia, was the rightful owner of 50 percent of the proceeds of perhaps the most valuable sunken treasure in history. This is the first time representatives of the government have conceded this point in over 30 years of legal wrangling. The admission came in oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Washington, D.C. over the validity of SSA's suit.

06 Apr 2011

WHOI-led Team Locates Air France Wreckage

A search team led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) has located the wreckage of Air France Flight 447 some 3,900 meters, or nearly 2.5 miles, below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean off Brazil’s northeastern coast. The team left the port of Suape, Brazil, aboard the vessel Alucia on March 22, arriving at the search site on March 25. After one week of searching, one of the mission’s three autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the REMUS 6000s, detected debris on the seafloor. A second vehicle was dispatched to the area for more detailed sonar mapping and photographic imaging.

21 Jan 2010

Grandweld Wins Contract for Salvage Tugs

Grandweld, a United Arab Emirates-based shipbuilding, ship repair and conversion specialist, has secured a major contract worth $128m for the construction of three new Salvage Tugs for Sogeport-GICEP of Algeria. Grandweld is a division of GMMOS Group, a provider of marine services to the offshore oil & gas industry backed by Abraaj Capital and Waha Capital. "This contract for three 58m Salvage Tugs is yet another achievement for Grandweld and has helped us maintain a strong and healthy order book into 2012,"said Jamal Abki, General Manager of Grandweld. Contracts have been signed with the ports of Algiers, Arzew and Skikda for the three vessels intended for sea search-and-rescue operations in co-operation with the Algerian Coast Guard.

15 Jan 2004

Falmouth Coastguard Searches for Missing Crew

14 miles South by West of Lizard Point in Cornwall. distress alert from an Emergency Positioning Beacon (EPIRB). the scene, while the ERIDAN proceeded to the location of the sunken vessel. proceeding to the scene. are being transferred to shore by the helicopter. the three remaining crew. with rough seas and moderate to poor visibility.

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