CASUALTIES - FEBRUARY 2013

An 18 year old male passenger has died on board the Carnival cruise ship, Carnival Miracle. The ship was on an eight day cruise out of New York that had commenced on 18 February. The man was found dead in his cabin when the ship docked in New York at the end of the cruise on Tuesday 26 February. The reason for the man's death is, as yet, unknown but there has been considerable speculation as to the cause, none of which I intend to repeat on this site - however, you can, if you wish, read more on the subject here. The FBI was informed of the death by Carnival and an investigation is now underway. The photograph shows Carnival Miracle entering New York on 3 September 2010.

At 2245hrs on Monday 25 February 2013, the Dutch Coastguard Centre in Den Helder was notified by the P and O ferry Pride of York that a male passenger may have gone overboard some 90 km west of Hoek van Holland. The ship was on passage from Zeebrugge to Hull when the incident occurred. The Dutch Coastguard tasked two helicopters along with the lifeboats Koopmansdank from Neeltje Jans and Jeanine Parqui from the Hoek van Holland station. The Dutch naval vessel Schiedam and the Rijkswaterstaat vessel Arca also joined the search.  After a headcount onboard Pride of York had established that no one was missing; the search and rescue operation was called off at 2350hrs. The photograph shows Pride of York on the Humber inward for King George Dock, Hull on 29 May 2006.

At approximately 1500hrs local on Saturday 23 February 2013, while berthed in the port of Wellington, New Zealand, Queen Elizabeth was hit by the local tug Toia. The tug had been carrying passengers on pleasure trips in connection with the port's open day. Toia was passing down the port side of Queen Elizabeth when the tug's funnel hit QE's docking platform which was about 12 metres above the water line. Nobody was injured in the incident but the tug sustained damage to her funnel, although she has been able to remain in service. The damage to Queen Elizabeth is not recorded but it seems that she was able to sail for Papeete at around 0630hrs local.  There is a New Zealand press report with photo here. One of the comments on that article is so good that I feel it's worth recording here - "JohnS" stated that "Possibly the tug would have cleared the platform at low tide"!!  The photograph shows Queen Elizabeth inward for the Mayflower Terminal, Southampton on 19 April 2011.

During the afternoon of Saturday 23 February 2013, the Belgian flagged LPG tanker, Kemira Gas, got into some difficulty on the Kiel Canal. The ship was at a layby berth waiting for the Dutch general cargo vesel, Flinterdijk, on passage from Brunsbüttel to Gävle in Sweden, to pass. At around 1400hrs, as Flinterdijk was approaching, a strong gust of wind caused Kemira Gas to part her moorings and her bow began to swing to starboard across the canal. The crew dropped anchor but this failed to hold her and her rotation was eventually stopped by a group of wooden piles supporting a navigation beacon on the far side of the canal. After several unsuccessful attempts, the ship was eventually refloated at 1430 hrs and was allowed to proceed to Brunsbüttel for hull survey and inspection. There are German language reports with a video and some photographs here and here. The photograph accompanying this item shows Kemira Gas at Saltend Jetty on the Humber on 20 April 2010.

On Thursday 21 February 2013, the cruise ship Carnival Miracle was delayed in sailing form Port Canaveral because of a bomb threat. The threat was e-mailed to the Victory Casino Cruises vessel, Victory 1, berthed in Port Canaveral and the port authorities temporarily closed the port resulting in a delay to the commencement of passenger boarding on Carnival Miracle. After learning of the bomb threat at around 1700hrs, watchkeepers at the Jacksonville Coast Guard Sector in Atlantic Beach immediately established a safety zone around Victory 1 and stopped all marine traffic in the port. The Port Police carried out sweeps of Victory 1 and found no sign of any explosive devices. The safety zone was then removed and the port was reopened. The FBI are now investigating the source of the threat. The photograph shows Carnival Miracle entering New York on 3 September 2010.

On Wednesday 20 February 2013, the Russian general cargo vessel, Kelarvi, suffered engine failure in the Grimmershörn Bight off Cuxhaven while on passage to Ventspils in Latvia. It was necessary to carry out an emergency anchoring procedure outside the fairway. Attempts were then made by the ship's engineers to repair the damage themselves but this proved impossible and, around midday on Thursday 21 February,  the ship was towed to the Lentz Quay in Cuxhaven by the tugs Taucher Wulf 8 and Taucher Wulf 3. Repairs to the engine were then carried out by engineers from the Mützelfeeldt Yard in Cuxhaven. The repairs were completed on 22 February and the ship was then able to resume her passage to Ventspils. The photo shows Kelarvi on the Tees, inward from Bermeo for Tees Dock No 2 Berth, on 9 March 2003.

Monday must have been a very busy day for the Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre because, as well as dealing with the casualty on Bow Riyad, they also had to deal with another casualty onboard the Marshall Islands flagged bulker, Mare Trader. BMOC recieved a satphone call at around 1000hrs on Monday 18 February 2013 in the course of which the captain of Mare Trader stated tthat a Philippine national working as an Engine Room Fitter on the ship had sustained a serious injury to his right hand and required urgent medical assistance. The ship was on passage from Houston, Texas to the port of Mersin in Turkey and was some 200 nautical miles south of Bermuda. She altered course and anchored close to the eastern end of Bermuda where the injured crewman was successfully tranferred to the Bermuda pilot boat, St David, and taken ashore to Ordnance Island from where he was transferred by ambulance to King Edward VII Memorial Hospital in Hamilton. The photo shows Mare Trader moving berths in Constanta, Romania on 23 September 2012.

On Monday 18 February 2013, the Norwegian flagged chemical tanker, Bow Riyad, was struck by a large wave while she was some 210 nautical miles south east of Bermuda. The captain contacted Bermuda Maritime Operations Cente (BMOC) by satellite phone to report that a crew member, who had been out on deck at the time the wave struck, had been seriously injured. The crewmember had sustained back injuries, and his condition was monitored by BMOC and the US Coastguard. A helicopter was placed on standby in case medevac should prove necessary, but the ship continued at full speed towards Bermuda where the injured crewman was disembarked at 0700hrs, Wednesday 20 February.  The photograph shows Bow Riyad under her previous name, NCC Riyad, at Stockholm on 26 June 2008.

On Monday 18 February 2013, the Dutch flagged chemical tanker, Cliffwater, sustained damage to her engine whilst on passage from Immingham to Le Havre. The engine failed while the ship was off Great Yarmouth and the Dutch tug, RT Magic, was taked to attend. RT Magic took Cliffwater in tow and proceeded to take her to Rotterdam, the two being joined off Hook of Holland by another Dutch tug, SD Rebel. The three ships were escorted into Rotterdam by the Rotterdam Port Authority launch, RPA 16 and Cliffwater docked at approximately 1000hrs. There is a Dutch language report with some photos here. The photo accompanying this item shows Cliffwater on the Tees inward from Rotterdam for Simon Storage No 2 Jetty on 10 August 2012.

It is reported that the Turkish general cargo vessel, Boca, caught fire in the Dardanelles near Canakkale. The fire broke out at around 0825hrs on Sunday 17 February while the vessel was on passage from Varna in Bulgaria with a cargo of 2,798 tons of wheat. The ship is reported to have been bound for "Psacla", however I can find no trace of a port of that name and I suspect that something has become garbled in the telling. The 14 crewmembers were safely evacuated and, by 1300hrs, firefighters had the fire uncer control although they remained with the ship in case the fire reignited. The Turkish rescue vessels Kiyem 3 and Hizli 6 were in attendance. The photo shows Boca southbound passing Istanbul on 24 September 2012.

On Friday 15 February 2013, the Antiguan flagged coaster, Helga, was in collision with another Antiguan flagged vessel, Wittenbergen, on the Lower Weser. The collision occurred at 1300hrs as Wittenbergen was moving from Berth SB III to the North Pier in the port of Brake. The move was being carried out in dense fog and Wittenbergen was moving northward close to the shore. It seems the the master of Wittenbergen misjudged the speed of the current and his ship veered to starboard, drifting into the fairway where Helga was underway bound for Bremen. Helga was unable to complete an evasive manouevre in time to avoid a collision and both ships sustained some damage. Helga was able to continue to Bremen, docking in the Industry Port at 1545hrs. The Bremen police then began an investigation in conjunction with their colleagues in Brake. The photo shows Helga at Victoria Quay, Hartlepool on 2 October 2005.

Afternote: many thanks to Darren Green for pointing out that the image that originally accompanied this item was of the wrong Helga. This has now been corrected. Thanks also to Darren for some additional information -  when the collision occurred Helga was inward for Bremen to load for Port Sutton Bridge

I am getting reports that, on Saturday 9 February, a passenger went ovrboard from the Italian cruise ship MSC Fantasia. The ship was still in port on the first day of a cruise from Santos in Brazil when the incident occurred. A party was in progress on Deck 11 and it seems that a male passenger, who had been at the party, went over the rail into the water. A lifeboat was lowered from the ship and the crew attempted to reach the man in the water. However, before they could reach him he was overwhelmed by the bow wave from the outbound cruise ship, Costa Favolosa, and he disappeared. Brazilian Federal Police boarded the ship to begin and investigation, and divers were tasked to locate the man's body. The photograph shows Fantasia in Barcelona on 24 April 2009.

The Barbadian flagged general cargo vessel, Torrent, has been detained in the port of Rye apparently because her owners, Independent Shipping, have ceased trading. The crew of five Ukrainians and one Russian are still on board the ship and are reported to have supplies of food, fuel and water. Despite this the BBC News site reports that the Rye and District Lions Club have provided "emergency supplies of fish [sic] to the sailors". I'm at a loss to understand why, if they have food, they would need emergency fish supplies. Maybe they are Navy Seals operating under cover.  A spokesman for the owners made the following statement: "Due to the continuing strained economic climate and the adverse effects this has had on the shipping industry, Independent Shipping is unfortunately in a position where vessels have stopped trading for the time being ". Torrent was built in Hull by Yorkshire Dry Dock and used to be a fairly frequent visitor to her home waters, although I haven't seen much of her in the last couple of years. The photograph shows her at the Howdndyke bulk terminal on 20 September 2009. 

Afternote:  Is it just me or does "Independent Shipping" sound spookily similar to "Trotter's Independent Traders" - has Del Boy been branching out? It could explain a lot.

On Saturday 9 February 2013, a crewman had to be airlifted from the Hapag-Lloyd container ship, Prague Express.  The crewman had crushed his arm while working on the ship and was losing a lot of blood. A Coastguard helicopter was tasked  and flew to the ship which, at the time, was some 30 miles south of Shoreham inward for Southampton. The Shoreham RNLI lifeboat was also tasked and was launched at around 1340hrs. However the lifeboat was later stood down when the Coastguard helicopter was scrambled. Medics from the helicopter managed to control the bleeding before the man was airlifted from the ship. He was then flown to Brighton where he was admitted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital for treatment. The photographs shows Prague Express in the Solent outward for Antwerp from Southampton on 4 May 2012. 

During the night of 7 February 2013, a male passenger jumped from the Armas ferry, Volcan de Timanfaya. The ship was on passage from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Las Palmas and was some four miles off La Isleta when the man was seen to jump. Witnesses raised the alarm and a search was initiated. A Salvamento Marítimo Sirkorsky S-61N search and rescue helicopter was tasked along with local lifeboats and vessels from the Guardia Civil. The man's body was later recovered but his identity has not yet been made public. The photograph shows Volcan de Timanfaya berthed in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 25 April 2011.

The ferry Excelsior, owned and operated by the Italian company CNG, has been chartered by Société Nationale Maritime Corse Méditerranée (SNCM) to take over from the damaged Napoleon Bonaparte on their Marseille - Bastia - Ajaccio route. Excelsior arrived in Marseille on Monday 4 February and will now undergo a cosmetic refit before starting to operate the route in mid February. SNCM have had some difficulty finding a suitable replacement but finally opted for Excelsior as her capacity, although slightly smaller than that of N. Bonaparte (2,250 pax and can up to 760 vehicles) is otherwise comparable to that of the damaged ship. The photograph shows Excelsior in Barcelona on 24 April 2009.

At approximately 0100hrs on Saturday 2 February 2013, the Gibraltar flagged general cargo vessel, Neptun, suffered engine failure south west of Borkum in Lower Saxony. The ship had sailed from the Emder Werft und Dockbetriebe shipyard in Emden at 1900hrs the previous day. When the engine failed the ship began to drift with the tidal current and the lifeboat Hannes Glogner from the DGzRS Station at Burokum was tasked to standby the vessel. However, before the lifeboat could reach Neptun, the crew were able to restart the engine. The ship was then permitted to return to Emden with tug assistance, berthing at the Ems Quay at 2330hrs, 2 February. She was then returned to the shipyard for investigation and repair. The image shows Neptun at the Dolphin Berth at Grove Wharf on the River Trent on 6 March 2006.

On Tuesday 5 February, a crewmember had to be airlifted from the Cypriot chemical tanker, Antracyth. The ship was on passage from Aveiro to Antwerp and was some 25 nautical miles from the coast close to the Casquets. CROSS Jobourg was alerted at 1130hrs and an EC-225 helicopter from the French naval Base at Maupertus was tasked to carry out the medevac. The injured Polish sailor was airlifted from the ship in tricky conditions with winds gusting to around 30mph. There is a French language report with video here (warning - this site has some very irritating pop-ups). The photo shows Antracyth, under her previous name of Messana, approaching the Straits of Gibraltar on 29 April 2009.

During the night of 2 February 2013, the Dutch flagged general cargo vessel Statengracht, that had earlier sailed from Rauma in Finland, was in collision with the Maltese container ship Katre some 22km north of the German island of Ruegen in the southern Baltic.  Katre was on passage from Helsingborg to Stralsund when the collision occurred. Statengracht was holed in way of one of her cargo holds and started to ship water developing a 10º list to port. She then headed for Rostock escorted by the anti pollution vessel Arkona out of Stralsund. At 1015hrs, Saturday 2 February, she was safe alongside at berth #60 in Rostock. Katre proceded under her own power and berthed in the port of Mukran (Sassnitz) at around 0800hrs. The photograph shows Statengracht southbound in the Bay of Biscay with a deck cargo of yachts on 21 April 2011.