Yemeni Fishing Vessel Hijacked in Gulf of Aden
British security firm Ambrey said on Sunday that it had received a report that a Yemeni fishing vessel had been hijacked in the Gulf of Aden."Crew on board the fishing vessel were off-boarded in Bosaso, Somalia.
Philippine Seafarers Who Survived Houthi Red Sea Attack Arrive Home
Eleven Filipino seafarers arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday nearly a week after they survived a Houthi missile attack off Yemen.They were crew members of the Barbados-flagged, Greek operated merchant ship True Confidence which the Houthis attacked last week, killing three sailors, including two Filipinos. The migrant workers' ministry said in a statement the 11 survivors received government help on arriving in Manila.Mark Anthony Dagohoy, a crew member on True Confidence, said it was difficult to recall what they went through…
Five Killed After Barge Hits Bridge Near China's Guangzhou
Five people were killed after a barge collided with a bridge over a waterway in China's Pearl River Delta near Guangzhou city, causing part of the bridge to break off, plunging vehicles into the water, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.The barge was travelling from Foshan city to a southern district of Guangzhou when it crashed into the bridge at 5:30 a.m. (2130 GMT) on the Hongqili Waterway, the Guangzhou Maritime Safety Administration said in a statement.Images on state…
Multiple Boats Catch Fire in Baltimore Marina
Emergency responders on Wednesday battled a blaze that engulfed multiple vessels in the Anchorage Marina, on the Patapsco River in Baltimore.A good Samaritan alerted U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region watchstanders to the fire at approximately 9 a.m. and reported that he heard a popping noise and saw two 55-foot boats engulfed in flames.Baltimore City Fire Department said its units arrived on location to find heavy fire and smoke conditions coming from multiple vessels docked at the marina.
NTSB Issues Safety Alert on Personal Locator Devices for Mariners
A new safety alert issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) urges vessel owners and operators to provide each crewmember with a personal locator device. These devices improve a mariner’s chance of rescue during an emergency.During an emergency at sea, a mariner’s chance of survival decreases if search and rescue cannot quickly and accurately identify their location. Personal locator devices, such as personal locator beacons (PLB) or satellite emergency notification devices (SEND), can accurately pinpoint a person’s location.
SAR Officer Caleb Halle Receives 2023 IMO Bravery Award
The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London. The ceremony…
US Coast Guard Medevacs 64-Year-Old from Fishing Vessel Off San Diego
A U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Diego helicopter crew rescued a 64-year-old male passenger from a fishing vessel approximately 40 miles off the coast of San Diego, Thursday.Coast Guard Sector San Diego Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders received a distress call from the fishing vessel Pride, requesting a medical evacuation for a crewmember at approximately 9 a.m. The injured male was experiencing multiple onset abnormalities.Based on the reported condition of the individual…
Near Collision, Tense Encounter as Beijing Flexes Muscles in South China Sea
The crew of the Philippine coastguard boat watch anxiously as an imposing Chinese vessel draws near and cuts off its path, coming within a metre of collision in a vast stretch of open water in the South China Sea.The captain of the BRP Sindangan shuts off the engine and activates the reverse throttle. China's coastguard issues a warning via megaphone to leave as the Filipino crew watch closely on a radar that shows two vessels side by side."In accordance with international and Philippine national laws we are proceeding…
Crewmember Dies After Falling from Tanker Near Boston
A crewmember has died after falling overboard from a tanker vessel near Boston.A frantic search commenced shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Tuesday in response to a mayday call from the Singapore-registered MTM Dublin, which reported the mariner had fallen overboard.The man had reportedly been swept into the sea while a ladder was being lowered for the boarding of a Boston Harbor pilot, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.The search was performed in rough sea conditions near Boston Harbor…
ATSB: Fatal Pilot Ladder Accident Has Enduring Lessons
Managers of the two vessels involved in a fatal crew transfer accident off Brisbane, Australia, had not ensured personnel had a common and complete understanding of how the transfer would be conducted, an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation has concluded.On 9 August 2021, crew were being transferred to and from the bulk carrier Formosabulk Clement via the launch boat PT Transporter in the Port of Brisbane anchorage, about five nautical miles off the coast.The operation involved multiple visits from PT Transporter to transfer crew on and off the anchored bulk carrier.
Video: Overboard Tanker Crew Member Rescued in the Gulf of Mexico
A mariner has been rescued after reportedly falling from a tanker in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday.The Coast Guard said its watchstanders at Sector Houston-Galveston command center received a distress call on VHF-FM channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. from personnel aboard the Liberian-registered vessel Ghibli, stating that a crew member had fallen overboard about 10 miles offshore Galveston, Texas and was not wearing a life jacket.Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast…
NTSB Renews Call for US Coast Guard to Strengthen Passenger Vessel Safety
Four years after the fire aboard the Conception dive boat claimed 34 lives, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) renewed its call for the U.S. Coast Guard to require safety management systems (SMS) for passenger vessels. The recommendation, which the NTSB reissued following its investigation of the September 2, 2019, fire aboard the Conception, remains open.NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy sent a letter to the Coast Guard Commandant today emphasizing the need to issue the…
Training Issues Highlighted in LPG Carrier Engine Room Fire
The UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has published its accident investigation report into the fatal engine room fire on board Moritz Schulte on August 4, 2020, citing training issues.On 4 August 2020, a fire broke out in the engine room of the liquefied petroleum gas/ethylene carrier Moritz Schulte when the recently promoted third engineer opened an auxiliary engine’s pressurised fuel filter allowing marine gas oil to spray onto an adjacent auxiliary engine’s hot…
'Stop machine' - Russia Releases Video Showing Navy Boarding Cargo Ship in Black Sea
Russia on Tuesday released video footage showing an armed naval inspection unit boarding a cargo ship in the southwestern Black Sea on Sunday and questioning the captain about why the ship had not stopped when demanded to by a Russian warship.Russia said that it fired warning shots with automatic weapons at the Palau-flagged Sukru Okan vessel after it failed to respond to a demand for it to halt, though it was unclear why the ship was boarded so close to Turkey.In a video released by the Russian defense ministry…
To Fight Sexual Assault and Harassment, Vessel Owners and Operators Must Comply with Heightened Reporting Requirements
In response to increased awareness of the prevalence of sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) in the maritime industry — and following a widely reported account by a U.S. Merchant Marine Academy cadet of sexual assault aboard a U.S.-flagged ship during her Sea Year training — Congress enacted into law the Safer Seas Act (SSA) in December 2022.Intended as a direct effort to prevent and punish SASH, the SSA, among other provisions:Requires the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to revoke the license…
Suez Canal Tugboat Sinks After Collision with Tanker
A Suez Canal tugboat sank on Saturday and one of its crew was missing after it collided with a Hong Kong-flagged LPG tanker though shipping traffic in the strategically important waterway was largely unaffected, the canal authority said.Convoys of ships passing through the canal from the north were not affected, while the passage of ships travelling from the south returned to normal by about midnight on Saturday, Suez Canal Authority (SCA) said in a statement.The tanker, Chinagas Legend…
Japanese Ship Owner to Investigate Cause of Car Carrier Fire
Japanese ship leasing company Shoei Kisen Kaisha, the owner of car carrier Fremantle Highway, which caught fire off the Dutch coast last week, said on Friday it will investigate the cause of the incident in cooperation with relevant parties.The blaze broke out on July 26, killing one crew member and injured seven who jumped overboard to escape the flames. Local officials said the carrier arrived at the northern Dutch port of Eemshaven for salvage on Thursday.
Burned-out Car Carrier Towed to Dutch Port
A burned-out car carrier off the Dutch coast is being towed to port for salvage, Dutch authorities said on Thursday.The Fremantle Highway, which was travelling from Germany to Egypt when the blaze broke out on July 26, will be towed from its current location north of the islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog to nearby harbour Eemshaven, the Dutch public works and water management ministry said in a statement."Most of the ship has now been inspected and there are no indications that there is still fire on board," Rijkswaterstaat said, adding that the situation on board is now stable.The fire aboa
Interim Report: Trainee Died After Being Trapped by Steel Plates
Germany’s Federal Bureau of Maritime Casualty Investigation (BSU) has published the Interim Investigation Report into the fatal accident on board the bulk carrier Peter Oldendorff on August 3, 2022.The fatal accident occurred when the vessels was moored for cargo operations at a berth in the port of Mukran, Germany. A crewmember (fitter-trainee) was to perform welding works in the steering gear room. This required the removal of a plate from a stack stored vertically in a corner of the steering gear room so a piece could be cut out.The stack was secured against falling over by means of a cross strut locked by a screw connection. Due to the dimensions of the plates forming the stack (dimensions of the plates approximately 300cm x 130cm x 1cm…
Inadequate Lookout Leads to Collision Between Coast Guard Cutter and Small Boat -NTSB
The fatal collision between the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Winslow Griesser and a small boat off the coast of Puerto Rico last year resulted from the failure of either vessel to maintain a proper lookout, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said.On August 8, 2022, the cutter Winslow Griesser and the center-console boat Desakata collided about four miles off the northern coast of Puerto Rico. The cutter, with a crew of 21, was traveling westward along the coast. The 23-foot boat, with two aboard, was heading northbound.
Burning Car Carrier off Dutch Coast Being Towed Away from Shipping Lanes
A burning car carrier off the Dutch coast is being towed to a new location away from shipping routes as part of a difficult operation to salvage the ship, the Dutch water board Rijkswaterstaat and media said.The ship will be towed to a location 16 km north of the Dutch islands Ameland and Schiermonnikoog, Rijkswaterstaat said in a statement on Sunday.The towing operation began on Sunday, and it was not known when the ship, which was traveling from Germany to Egypt when the fire broke out…
Burning Ship of Dutch Coast Carries 498 Electric Vehicles, Not 25 as Initially Thought
The car carrier burning off the Dutch coast since Tuesday night is carrying nearly 500 electric vehicles, ship charter company "K" Line said on Friday, significantly more than the 25 initially reported by the coastguard.The fire on the Panamanian-registered Fremantle Highway, which was carrying new cars, resulted in the death of an Indian crew member and injury of seven others who jumped overboard to escape the flames.There were 3,783 vehicles on board, including 498 battery electric vehicles, a Tokyo-based spokesperson for K Line (Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha), which had chartered the vessel, said.
Car Carrier Still Burning off Dutch Coast as Hunt for Cause Begins
A burning car carrier was drifting off the Dutch coast on Thursday, the coastguard said, a day after the Panamanian-registered ship caught alight, causing the death of an Indian crew member and injuring several others.The 199-metre (653 ft) Fremantle Highway caught fire overnight Tuesday and several of the 23 crew jumped overboard to escape the flames and were rescued by the Dutch coastguard.The coastguard said on its website Thursday the cause of the fire was unknown, but an emergency responder is heard in a recording released by Dutch broadcaster RTL saying "the fire started in the battery o