The tanker 'Isla De Bioko' (IMO: 9767235), en route from Rotterdam, being loaded with urea, was in collision with the barges towed by the tug 'Ginny Rose' on April 27, 2025 at 9.20 p.m. The collision led to one barge sinking and six others going adrift, while sailing downstream on the Mississippi River from St. Rose, Louisiana. The conditions on the river were harsh and challenging at the time of the accident. After receiving news of the collision, the Coast Guard immediately mobilized local assisting tugs, which managed to successfully recover four of the barges, but two of them became fouled in the anchor chains of the 'Red Fin', which had moored in pos. 29° 56' N 090° 09' W on April 22, en route from Vistino, and the 'Bulker Bee 30' (IMO: 9489986), which left New Orleans on May 9, en route to Veracuz, where it arrived on May 11. The section near the collision site was temporarily closed off by the Coast Guard from mile marker 108 to 111 above Head of Passes, while crews assessed whether it was safe to traverse given the sunken barge. On April 28 at 3 p.m. after the depth of the sunken barge was deemed safe for other vessels and the last two barges were recovered, the channel was reopened, albeit with restrictions. A survey conducted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had confirmed the sunken barge was located approximately 75’ below the surface. An investigation has been opened into the matter, and salvage plans were being drawn up for the sunken barge. Elevated river levels remained a complicating factor for marine traffic and recovery operations. The 'Isla de Bioko' left New Orleans again on April 28 en route to Baton Rouge, where it arrived on May 1 and left the port en route to Rotterdam with an ETA as of May 23.
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US GOV VESSEL 75
On May 3, 2025, another F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet from the USS 'Harry S. Truman' has been lost in the Red Sea, the second jet lost from the carrier in just over a week, when the aircraft carrier was making evasive maneuvers to avoid Houthi militant fire in the Red Sea. The F/A-18 fighter Super Hornet jet, along with the vehicle towing it into place on the deck of the ''Harry S Truman', rolled right out of the hangar bay and into the water, after the move crew lost control of the aircraft. The other aircraft was lost after there was some kind of arrestment failure as the jet was trying to land on the carrier, and the pilot and weapons systems officer had to eject. They were recovered by a rescue helicopter and were both alive, but suffered minor injuries.
DOUCE FRANCE
On May 15, 2025, agents from the Civil Guard and the Customs Surveillance Service were searching the 'Douce France', which has docked in the Port of Vigo, en route from Vila do Conde and Fortaleza in Brazil, on suspicion of transporting drugs inside or on its hull. Security forces started searching the vessel for narcotics, as has happened in recent months with other ships that have also been intercepted in the Port of Vigo.
COBRA
The 'Cobra' was taken to dry dock in Talcahuano for forensic examinations by the PDI and the Prosecutor's Office in relation to the sinking of the 'Bruma' on May 2. The main hypothesis was a possible collision between the two vessels. The forensic examinations must still confirm this theory, beginning with a drying process to remove water from the 'Cobra'. A preliminary visual inspection of the hull was then carried out, without direct intervention, and then more detailed investigations began by the Prosecutor's Office and the PDI. Some analyses require natural light, while others require low lighting to apply specific reagents.Detailed investigations could extend until May 3, including planimetry, photography, microanalysis, and biochemical analysis to obtain efficient information. The expert reports will include planimetry, photography, microanalysis, biochemistry and audiovisual analysis procedures, in order to obtain the greatest amount of information possible in an efficient manner. During the investigations, biological remains were found, which had to be analyzed at the Temuco Forensics Laboratory. Report with photo: https://www.pagina7.cl/noticias/actualidad/2025/05/02/tras-peritajes-claves-al-barco-cobra-conoce-que-revelaron-sobre-el-naufragio-de-la-lancha-bruma
CECI
On April 30, 2025, 469 kilos of cocaine were found aboard the 'Ceci' in San Lorenzo. The ship's cook was arrested on May 2 by the Federal Guarantee Judge Carlos Vera Barros, who also ordered the 20 Filipinmo crew members to remain on the vessel. They will not be allowed to leave the port of San Lorenzo while the investigation was continued. They were brought to an arraignment hearing in the Federal Courts of Rosario. Before Guarantee Judge Carlos Vera Barros, federal prosecutors primarily charged the vessel's cook, who was remanded in custody. The, federal prosecutors Claudio Kishimoto and Francisco Bernhardt, together with the Procunar (National Prosecutor's Office), ordered measures to further investigate a line of investigation publicly presented by the Minister of National Security, Patricia Bullrich: that the cocaine was transported on a boat that provides food to the ship. One of these measures was to request video surveillance cameras in the area and inspect warehouses for material of interest. There were no elements that implicated the port of Vicentin with the drugs. The vessel's captain was important in the procedure, as he was the one who reported the strange packages in the cold storage, with a market value of $6 million. The ship had been inspected that same morning, and after that inspection, the food supplier boarded the ship to the place where the drugs were ultimately found. Another point to be elucidated was the destination of the drugs. Although the ship's final destination was Amsterdam, it had previously stopped in Montevideo. However, it was assumed that during the voyage, it was to be thrown into the water to be collected. In this context, it became relevant that one of the 16 packages had GPS and nets, elements to lower the cocaine into the sea or river. Investigators would evaluate the possibility that the drugs had been loaded on Argentine territory. However, there was also the possibility that they had been collected in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. There were traces of salt water inside the packages which were protected by several materials that would guarantee the substance's impermeability. The drug packages were stored inside waterproof bags. The ship remained stationary in San Lorenzo as of May 15. Report with photos: https://www.infobae.com/sociedad/policiales/2025/05/03/casi-500-kilos-de-cocaina-en-un-barco-el-cocinero-del-buque-quedo-preso/
ROTA SALVOR
Repair work on the grounded oil rig 'OCean Valiant' off El Houichate, which was lost by the 'SPM Neel Pratab 180' on Jan 12, in the Bizerte Governorate, were continuing in preparation for its upcoming towing to a Turkish port, a governorate statement said on May 13. The Tunisian authorities—local, regional, and central—were working together to finalize the technical and administrative interventions necessary to refloat the platform, while ensuring that the rights of the Tunisian state are protected. Despite difficult weather conditions in recent weeks, marked by strong winds and strong sea currents, more than 40 cubic meters of sand accumulated beneath the structure have been extracted. The operations also enabled the suction of polluted water and liquids that had seeped into the platform. These actions were carried out in collaboration with the tug 'Rota Salvor', tasked with the salvage operation, in accordance with the environmental protocol approved by the Tunisian authorities. The repair work on the cracks observed in the lower part of the structure has reached a completion rate of over 80% on the seaward side, while repairs to the northern side have already been completed by companies specializing in underwater welding. Barring adverse weather conditions, the operations to refloat the platform are expected to begin in the second half of June 2025. Report with photo: https://lapresse.tn/2025/05/14/tunisie-remise-a-flot-imminente-de-la-plateforme-petroliere-echouee-a-el-houichate/
ASCENSION
The 'Ascension', serving between Plaquemine and New Orleans, had to be taken out of service on May 8, 2025, due to damage it sustained from a vehicle on board on the morning. The ferry, which normally runs from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.,was sidelined for the remainder of the day. There was no estimation on when the ferry would be back in service. The secondary ferry is out of service until further notice to service Cameron Parish.
MSC VIRTUOSA
The man who died on board the 'MSC Virtuosa' following an altercation on May 3, has been named as James Messham, 60, from Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex. A 57-year-old man from Exeter, Devon, was arrested on suspicion of murder and has been released on bail, pending further inquiries by Hampshire Constabulary. Proceedings into the death had not yet been opened. Messham was part of a stag party on board the cruise ship, which was in British waters at the time.
LARGO CALIFORNIA
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP) was investigating the possible connection between the 'Largo California' and an oil spill detected in the Bay of Panama, near Puerto Caimito, which occurred on April 26, 2025. The tanker was anchoring in the Bay of Panama near the source of the spill at the time of the maneuvers. The Panama Maritime Authority was diligently continuing the relevant investigations to clarify the facts. Likewise, the corresponding communication processes have been initiated with the ship owners and the ship's agency to obtain their collaboration in the investigation, The ship arrived in Balboa on May 9.
RUN FU 6
Beached at Alang 14.05.25 https://www.facebook.com/kuresiarif.kuresi/videos/1351266056159248?idorvanity=6884293942
FV ABLETTE
The 'Ablette', with two crew members on board, suffered water ingress and subsequently caught fire in the Bay of Biscay off the Gironde coast on the morning of May 13, 2025. At 9:36 a.m., the CROSS Etel received a distress alert by VHF from a fishing vessel 120 miles west of the Gironde, and immediately launched "a May Day, enabling the mobilization of the Beechcraft customs aircraft, the Spanish hospital ship 'Juan de la Cosa' and the cargo m/v 'FWN Sun' (IMO: 9721669) besides the Raffut SAR helicopter from the Cazaux air base. The two fishermen were finally picked up by the 'FWN Sun', which was en route from La Rochelle to Gibraltar, from a life raft. The Raffut SAR helicopter then hoisted the castaways and transferred them to the Arcachon health center, where they were treated at 1:20 p.m. The pelagic trawler had left the port of Les Sables d'Olonne' on May 12, en route to Spain, where it was scheduled to arrive at a Galician shipyard for repairs. The voyage was expected to take approximately 40 hours.
SIRRAH
The 'Sirrah', which had originally set off from Chennai with 26 crew members on board, encountered technical issues and was forced to anchor about seven nautical miles from Vizhinjam port. After emergency repairs, the ship managed to set sail just hours before the Coast Guard’s deadline on May 12, 2025, and departed for Khorfakkan at 2.30 a.m. with an ETA as of May 21. The departure was made possible after a critical 900-kg engine compressor was sourced from Mumbai and delivered with the support of Waterline Shipping & Logistics Pvt. Ltd., a Thiruvananthapuram-based shipping agency, in coordination with the Kerala Maritime Board. The ship’s owners acted swiftly to procure the required spare parts, but due to the prevailing war-like situation, the transport vehicle carrying the equipment was delayed at multiple checkpoints for security inspections. Once cleared by Customs, the spare parts were ferried to the vessel aboard the tug 'Dhwani', operated by the Kerala Maritime Board. Earlier, the Indian Coast Guard had inspected the vessel and found no suspicious items or hazardous cargo on board. They instructed the captain to move the ship within two days in light of Operation Sindoor. Report with photo: https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/2025/May/13/uae-bound-vessel-mv-sirrah-resumes-voyage-following-emergency-repairs
CONSCIENCE
Maltese authorities will undertake the necessary repairs at sea to the 'Consicence' of the Freedom Flotilla ship, after an initial inspection found that minor repairs were sufficient to allow it to sail to its next destination in the Gaza Strip. In this regard, the main systems, including the engines and generators, have remained operational. The ship remained anchored in international waters for the time being.
CECI
On May 14, after several days of investigation, both the 'Ceci' and its crew were released. The only person detained was the ship's cook. The ruling was issued by Federal Guarantee Judge Carlos Vera Barros. The sentence indicated that the man, identified as Jonathan Caputero, was to be held in preventive detention for 90 days. The cook had admitted to bringing the drugs onto the ship. The decision was also made following the investigation into the cell phones seized on the ship. So far, the origin of the cocaine shipment is unknown. For now, Caputero admitted full responsibility for loading the 379 loaves of cocaine into the cold storage and other parts of the vessel.
SPM NEEL PRATAP 180
Repair work on the grounded oil rig 'Ocean Valiant' off El Houichate, which was lost by the 'SPM Neel Pratab 180' on Jan 12, in the Bizerte Governorate, were continuing in preparation for its upcoming towing to a Turkish port, a governorate statement said on May 13. The Tunisian authorities—local, regional, and central—were working together to finalize the technical and administrative interventions necessary to refloat the platform, while ensuring that the rights of the Tunisian state are protected. Despite difficult weather conditions in recent weeks, marked by strong winds and strong sea currents, more than 40 cubic meters of sand accumulated beneath the structure have been extracted. The operations also enabled the suction of polluted water and liquids that had seeped into the platform. These actions were carried out in collaboration with the tug 'Rota Salvor', tasked with the salvage operation, in accordance with the environmental protocol approved by the Tunisian authorities. The repair work on the cracks observed in the lower part of the structure has reached a completion rate of over 80% on the seaward side, while repairs to the northern side have already been completed by companies specializing in underwater welding. Barring adverse weather conditions, the operations to refloat the platform are expected to begin in the second half of June 2025. Report with photo: https://lapresse.tn/2025/05/14/tunisie-remise-a-flot-imminente-de-la-plateforme-petroliere-echouee-a-el-houichate/
FWN SUN
Two fishermen were rescued by the crew of the 'FWN Sun', en route from La Rochelle to Gibraltar, on the Atlantic, off the Gironde coast on the morning of May 13, 2025. At 9:36 a.m., the CROSS Etel had received a distress alert by VHF from the fishing vessel 'Ablette ' (MMSI: 227309000) 120 miles west of the Gironde, following a water ingress and a subsequent fire. The CROSS immediately launched "a May Day, enabling the mobilization of the Beechcraft customs aircraft, the Spanish hospital ship 'Juan de la Cosa' and the 'FWN Sun' besides the Raffut SAR helicopter from the Cazaux air base. The two fishermen were finally picked up by the 'FWN Sun' from a life raft. The Raffut SAR helicopter then hoisted the castaways and transferred them to the Arcachon health center, where they were treated at 1:20 p.m.