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Evacuation News

22 Feb 2024

Virtual Marine: Simulator Training is the Real Deal

(Photo: Virtual Marine)

In the commercial maritime and offshore industries, where worker safety and competency are crucial, effective training practices are an absolute must. While hands-on, in-the-field learning will always be a vital component of any mariner’s training, marine simulation has become a welcome enhancement to the education process. And in some cases, it’s seen as a safer alternative to traditional survival craft and rescue boat training.A leader in this space is Virtual Marine, based in Newfoundland and Labrador.

24 Jan 2024

Aurora Botnia - RoPax Ferry + Greentech Proving Ground

Photo: Wasaline

Built by Rauma Marine Constructions, in Rauma, Finland, and launched in 2021, the 150-meter-long Aurora Botnia boasts a long list of onboard equipment that help it to earn its “green” designation, a label that is confirmed via a Clean Design notation from classification society DNV. The ship is also compliant with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target.Wasaline CEO Peter Ståhlberg describes Aurora Botnia as “a masterpiece of cooperation” and noted that the vessel is over 80% domestic made."I'm really proud of the Aurora Botnia.

09 Jan 2024

Viking Strengthens Marine Evacuation Portfolio with Undertun Acquisition

(Credit: Viking Life-Saving Equipment)

Danish maritime safety solutions company Viking Life-Saving Equipment has acquired rights to manufacture and supply Undertun marine evacuation systems (MES).The Viking acquisition has been agreed with Sverre Undertun, whose Norway-based company offers solutions which include its well-known Undertun ship gangways.The solution is suitable for the small ferry market due to its easy installation and use.Catering for up to 150 persons, Undertun MES are especially convenient when installation heights and crew numbers are low…

22 Dec 2023

Austal USA Wins USN Contract

Austal USA received an $867.6 million undefinitized contract award (UCA) for final design and construction of three Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS) from the U.S. Navy. Image courtesy Austal USA

Austal USA received an $867.6 million undefinitized contract award (UCA) for final design and construction of three Expeditionary Medical Ships (EMS) from the U.S. Navy. The EMS will be manufactured in Austal USA’s aluminum manufacturing line following completion of the last Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF 16).The Expeditionary Medical Ship (EMS), an Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) variant, is a cost-effective design providing a dedicated medical ship optimized to provide patient holding, stabilization, evacuation and transport in support of Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO).

20 Dec 2023

China’s First Domestically Built Cruise Ship Delivered

Adora Magic City, China’s first domestically built cruise ship (Photo: CSSC SWS)

The first large cruise ship ever to be built in China has been delivered, potentially leading the way for a new market player to rise within the global cruise shipbuilding industry.The 5,246-passenger Adora Magic City, built by China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS) based on Fincantieri' Vista-class design, will commence its maiden voyage from Shanghai in January 2024, operated by Asian cruise line Adora Cruises.The Chinese-built ship will service the domestic market with four-to-five day sailings…

22 Nov 2023

VIKING Launches Innovative Space-saving Lifeboats

Credit: VIKING Life-Saving Equipment

VIKING Life-Saving Equipment, said Wednesday it was launching an innovative range of lifeboats and davits which set new standards for compact and lightweight lifeboat-based evacuation solutions. "By challenging traditional lifeboat design, the 40- and 52-person VIKING Norsafe Totally Enclosed Lifeboats (TELB) respond to a rising tide of industry demand for space- and weight-saving boats for typical crew capacities," VIKING Life-Saving Equipment said."Major shipbuilding clients…

10 Nov 2023

US Coast Guard Medevacs 64-Year-Old from Fishing Vessel Off San Diego

Credit: USCG

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…

17 Oct 2023

Evergreen Line Declares Force Majeure on Israel Shipment

Taiwanese container shipping line Evergreen has declared force majeure on a shipment to the Israeli port of Ashdod, with its Ever Cozy vessel diverted to Haifa further north due to safety concerns, according to a customer note.This is one of the first force majeures declared since Hamas Islamists launched attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, amid preparations by Israel's military to launch ground operations into Gaza in retaliation.The Ever Cozy was sailing towards Haifa port on Tuesday, according to data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic.Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas Islamists after its fighters stormed through Israeli towns from Gaza…

09 Oct 2023

Israel-bound Cruise Ships Divert to Cyprus

© ais60 / Adobe Stock

Cruise ships heading to Israel have been diverted to Cyprus, while additional flights were arranged on Monday to repatriate Israelis or assist people wanting to leave Israel, aviation and shipping officials said.A cruise ship docked at Limassol port on Sunday, while a second on Monday, Port Manager Panayiotis Agathocleous told Cyprus's Ant1 TV station. A third was expected during the week, he said."We are ready to offer all assistance," Agathocleous said.Aviation officials said 11 extra inbound and outbound flights to Israel were arranged on Monday.

20 Sep 2023

VIDEO: Cargo Ship Crew Evacuated after Explosion Near Romanian Danube Port

Credit: ARSVOM

The crew of a Togo-flagged general cargo ship bound for one of Ukraine's Danube river ports was evacuated early on Wednesday after an explosion on board near the Romanian port of Sulina, Romanian officials said.The Seama ship reported an explosion early on Wednesday and requested the evacuation of the 12-person crew near Sulina, where the Danube flows into the Black Sea."At the moment the causes ... are unclear, whether it was a mine or merely an explosion in the engine room," Romanian…

22 Aug 2023

Forest Fire Shuts Turkey's Dardanelles Strait for Maritime Traffic

© Brais Seara / Adobe Stock

Maritime traffic from the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara has been suspended due to the ongoing forest fire in the Turkish northwestern province of Canakkale, the transport ministry and a shipping agency said on Tuesday."The traffic at Dardanelles was suspended for both directions on Tuesday at 18:45 (1545 GMT) hours due to the aircraft intervening in the forest fire in the region by safely taking water from the sea," Tribeca shipping agency said.The Dardanelles Strait, a narrow and historically significant passage connecting the Aegean Sea to the Black Sea…

21 Aug 2023

Ukraine May Use New Black Sea Route for Grain Shipments

© Igor Strukov / Adobe Stock

Ukraine is considering using its newly-tested wartime Black Sea export corridor for grain shipments after other cargo ships follow the first successful evacuation of a vessel on the route last week, a senior agricultural official said on Monday.Russia has blockaded Ukrainian ports since it invaded its neighbour in Feb. 2022 and threatened to treat all vessels as potential military targets after pulling out of a U.N.-backed safe passage deal last month.In response, Ukraine announced a "humanitarian corridor" hugging the sea's western coastline near Romania and Bulgaria.

26 Feb 2024

Crossing Death's Door Daily

© Derek Victor / Adobe Stock

Washington Island Ferry Line (WIFL) has been the essential link between the residents, business and visitors of Washington Island and Wisconsin's Door Peninsula for more than eight decades.Picturesque and peaceful Door County isn't named for some intrepid settlers named Door. The name has a more ominous meaning. It's derived from the treacherous passage between the peninsula and Washington Island that mariners called Porte des Mortes, or Death's Door.A unique combination of environmental…

10 Jul 2023

Saab Develops Concept for Remotely Operated Rescue Craft

Source: Saab

A new-generation rescue craft proposed by Saab’s Docksta Shipyard would use remote-operation technology to dramatically cut response times for maritime accidents.Known as the Docksta Loitering, Optionally Crewed, High Speed Rescue Vessel (LHSRV), the proposed vessel could potentially travel at speeds in excess of 40 knots to maritime emergencies to provide a safe evacuation point for up to 20 survivors at a time.One potential application for the craft is in the oceans around Canada…

31 May 2023

North Korea Missile Tests Endanger Shipping, IMO Warned

© SHUTTER DIN / Adobe Stock

North Korean missile tests are endangering the safety of commercial shipping in busy sea lanes in northeastern Asia without enough time given for notification, several countries told a UN agency on Wednesday.Nuclear-armed North Korea's sixth satellite launch on Wednesday ended in failure, with the booster and payload plunging into the sea, but it still prompted emergency alerts and evacuation warnings in parts of South Korea and Japan.A resolution adopted by a majority of over 100 countries attending the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) security committee…

18 May 2023

Third Medical Evacuation in Three Months: Coast Guard Assists Ailing Crewmember on Solitaire Pipelayer

Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans aircrew and motor vessel Solitaire crew carry a Solitaire crewmember on a litter to a Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter May 16, 2023 near Port Fourchon Louisiana. The crewmember was reportedly experiencing heart attack-like symptoms and was in need of a medevac. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by courtesy asset)

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a crewmember from Allseas' pipelayer Solitaire Tuesday approximately 13 miles south of Port Fourchon, Louisiana.Coast Guard Eighth District and Coast Guard Sector New Orleans command center watchstanders received a report at approximately noon Tuesday from the Solitaire of a 65-year-old male crewmember experiencing heart attack-like symptoms. Sector New Orleans watchstanders diverted a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew to assist.

08 May 2023

Lifeboats Need to be Reinvented, Industry Group Says

© Matthias / Adobe Stock

A maritime industry safety group is calling for the total reinvention of lifeboats on board cargo vessels amid frequent injuries among seafarers.“Lifeboats are an essential part of crew safety onboard every vessel, but seafarers are way too often getting injured when launching the lifeboat,” the Container Ship Safety Forum e.V. (CSSF) said. “Over the years, many seafarers have been injured – some of them fatally – while launching the lifeboat during evacuations or evacuation drills.

01 May 2023

US Coast Guard Medevacs Five Passengers Off Cruise Ships Within 24 Hours

A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter medevacs a patient from a cruise ship, approximately 300 miles offshore from Fort Morgan, Alabama, April 29, 2023. (Source:  U.S. Coast Guard video by Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans)

US Coast Guard helicopter aircrews medically evacuated four separate passengers off three different cruise ships, off the southern California coast, during a 24-hour period beginning Friday night.A 47-year-old woman, reportedly suffering from a progressive acute illness, was hoisted off the cruise ship Carnival Panorama, which was 100 miles south of San Diego. The cruise ship and an MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew from Coast Guard Sector San Diego rendezvoused 100 miles south of San Diego.

17 Mar 2023

Lessons Learned from the USS Bonhomme Richard Fire

Fire rages on board USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) at Naval Base San Diego, July 12, 2020. (Photo: Austin Haist / U.S. Navy)

Shipboard fire a constant threat: Bonhomme Richard tragedy an enduring lesson in fire prevention, responseJuly 12, 2020 was a lazy Sunday morning at Naval Base San Diego. USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), which had been commissioned only two years earlier, had recently made the base its new homeport and was docked as it underwent a maintenance availability.But, the silence of that morning was rocked by an explosion a few minutes before 9 a.m., changing everything for the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship.Below the decks…

08 Mar 2023

French Strike Disrupts Rhine River Traffic

© philipbird123 / Adobe Stock

Rhine river traffic came to a standstill in some places on Wednesday due to strikes against French government plans to raise the pension age, with sections of the river in France, Germany and Switzerland affected, a CGT union representative and Germany's Waterways and Shipping Administration (WSA) said.Around 1.28 million people in France had participated in a sixth day of protests on Tuesday against a draft law that would see the pension age delayed by two years to 64.A blockade at Strasbourg lock on the Rhine was cleared by police and an evacuation of the blockades at the Marckolsheim lock…

18 Jan 2023

Survitec's 'Life Ark' MES earns BV Type Approval

Survitec’s Life Ark MES has received Type Approval certification from Bureau Veritas. Image courtesy Survitec

Survitec said its new Marine Evacuation System (MES) Life Ark -- a helical slide-based MES for small to medium-sized passenger vessels -- has received full-type approval from Bureau Veritas.Life Ark is designed for vessels with a freeboard height of up to 23m and passenger capacities ranging from 300 to 1,500. Using the fully enclosed, dry-shod helical (spiral) slide design inherent to Survitec’s popular Marin Ark 2 MES and Seahaven AES, Life Ark ensures a safe, rapid and comfortable descent for people of all ages and abilities.

14 Nov 2022

Firefighting at Sea – Towards a Safe Ship Concept

Copyright muratart/AdobeStock

The most important of all international maritime safety conventions is the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). The first version was adopted at a conference in London in 1914. The catalyst for this conference was the sinking of the Titanic on her first voyage in April 1912, which cost the lives of more than 1,500 passengers. This was the beginning of the journey that put in place a regulatory framework to protect those who work and travel by sea.Whilst the sinking of the Titanic was not fire-related…

14 Oct 2022

Suez Canal to Offer Ships Bunkering and Catering Services

© Mariusz / Adobe Stock

Egypt's Suez Canal Economic Zone will offer new services to ships including fueling and catering from the first quarter of 2023, state media quoted a Suez Canal official as saying on Friday.The new services will be offered at Port Said and Suez in the northern and southern regions of the canal respectively, the official was quoted as saying, while as many as 20 to 25 services will be available for ships transiting Sokhna Port, including medical evacuation and marine supplies.(Reuters - Reporting by Moaz Abd-Alaziz, Editing by Louise Heavens, Kirsten Donovan)