Nine people have been confirmed dead and four were still missing after the "Argos Georgia" sank off the Falkland Islands. 13 of the survivors were on board one life raft and were rescued by the British patrol vessel 'Lilibet', while the last one was on board another life raft which was damaged, and was saved by Falklands-flagged toothfish vessel 'Robin M. Lee', the crew which also found one deceased crew member. The Chile-flagged icefish-fishing vessel'Puerto Toro' was able to secure a third life raft containing the bodies of two crew. In total, nine bodies have been recovered, including three Russian crew members. there were eight Russians on board, four of whom were found alive, and one was missing. The families were notified by the vessel’s owner, Argos Froyanes, a privately owned British-Norwegian partnership between Argos and Ervik Havfiske. The list of survivors includes the Ribeirenses José Saborido Rey (captain), José Ramón Hombre Saborido (first officer) and Ramón García Reiriz (chief engineer); Francisco Gondar Sanjorge from Pontevedra (second officer); the La Mancha biologist Amparo Burguillos and Pere Hernández Banquete. The whereabouts of four crew members remain to be known, two of them Galician: crew members Antonio Barreiro Torea and Juan Antonio García Rey, from Noia and Ribeira respectively. The survivors have been brought to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands, and were receiving treatment at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital. They had spent an estimated 21 hours in life rafts in horrendous conditions, including 135-kilometer-per-hour winds and 8-meter-high waves. Worsening weather forced the combined force of rescuers from British Forces South Atlantic Islands and the UK Maritime & Coastguard Agency, along with local officials in the Falkland Islands, to suspend the search for the remaining four missing crew on July 23, but the search resumed on July 24. However, given the low odds of finding any more survivors in the cold South Atlantic water and the continued risk to personnel, the Falklands government called off the search in the run of the day. A further recovery effort will be made to find those still at sea as soon as this is practicable, The 'Lillibet' and the 13 survivors aboard arrived back in Port Stanley on the night of July 24. The 14th survivor remained on the the 'Robin M. Lee' and was due to disembark when the ship has returned on July 25. The 'Argos Georgia' had unloaded its cargo last week at Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands and was on its way back to fishing grounds around 170 miles southeast of the islands when the vessel suffered an uncontrolled flooding. The government of the Spanish autonomous community of Galicia will pursue an investigation of the incident. Several of the 'Argos Georgia' crew originated from Galicia.
News
HK TUG 9
The 'HK 9' along with the top deck cargo barge 'LKH 2882' was approached by 10 perpetrators on July 15, 2024, at 4.40 p.m. in pos. 1° 16.1' N 104° 13'37' E, about 7,5 nautical miles vom Tanjung Tondong. The pirates stole scrap metal from the cargo of the towed barge. No injuries were reported.
NORDIA-N
Broken up at Frederikshavn https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10160522154549005&set=pcb.10163186880118943
MAERSK FRANKFURT
The fire on the 'Maersk Frankfurt' was almost extinguished after five days of firefighting. The ship was ocated 13 nautical miles west of New Mangalore, and was moving towards open waters. Specialised firefighting experts have boarded the vessel and were working to extinguish the fire. Some visible flames have been reported from the vessel, and smouldering from containers continued. The vessel was reportedly in stable condition, with all machinery, steering and navigational equipment fully operational. The extent of the fire’s impact on the cargo was unknown. The vessel owners have decided to declare General Average (GA). This would mean that once the onboard containers have been discharged from the vessel at a safe location, they would not be released for on-carriage or delivery until cargo interests have made the required security arrangements through the GA adjusters. The 21 crew members: 17 Filipinos, two Ukrainians, one Russian, and one Montenegrin., were safe on board. The vessel was reportedly carrying International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) cargo. The ship had departed Mundra on its maiden voyage on July 17 and was scheduled to reach Colombo on July 21. Report with photo: https://www.worldcargonews.com/news/2024/07/fire-on-maersk-frankfurt-nearly-out/
LADY MOANA
The Cook Islands police have called off the search for 22-year-old Luke Vakayawa, who fell overboard from the 'Lady Moana' on July 21, 2024, while it was returning to Rarotonga from Mangaia. At 3.43 a.m., the police patrol boat 'Te Kukupa II' received a distress call reporting a man overboard from the vessel. It sailed at 8.45 a.m. and reached the position of the 'Lady Moana', which had no success in recovering the man, after nine hours.The lifesaver ring that had been deployed when Vakayawa went overboard was found on July 23. The SAR operation was assessed on the morning in discussions between the maritime commander and the commissioner and it was agreed that the search and rescue be stood down given that the patrol boat conducted quite a comprehensive search of the location area where the man was missing.
LNG BORNO
On July 23, 2024, a migrant boat with 140 people on board was located 222 kilometers south of Gran Canaria, among them 20 women and two children, all of sub-Saharan origin, by the 'LNG Borno', that was heading towards Nigeria from Portugal. The captain of the tanker reported that the sea conditions were bad, with strong waves and intense wind, so he was instructed to stay close to the canoe and not lose sight of it until a rescue ship arrived. At 2:10 p.m., the 'Guardamar Calíope' confirmed that it had rescued all the occupants of the boat and was sailing back to the port of Arguineguín with an ETA at around 10:00 p.m.
MEIN SCHIFF 4
On July 23, themedevac of a crew member was carried out from the 'Mein Schiff 4', en route from Alesund to Bremerhaven, the destination port of the eleven-day North Cape cruise. A helicopter for the emergency disembarkation on the North Sea was deployed from Stavanger. After hoisting the patient at around 11:30 a.m., the helicopter flew back to Norway. On the morning of July 23, the 'Mein Schiff 4' arrived back in Bremerhaven.
MT TERRA NOVA
The 'Terra Nova', en route from Iloilo City, carrying 1400 tons of fuel oil, sank off the coast of Manila on of July 25, 2024, at 1.10 a.m., aboiut 3.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point, Limay, Bataan, An oil slick spanning several kilometers has been detected in the waterway. There was a high risk of Manila's coastline being affected. Authorities were doing everything they could to prevent an oil spill. An aerial asset was monitoring anoil spill 5.6 nautical miles east off Lamao Point with an estimated coverage of two nautical miles, carried by strong current heading east to northeast. Marine environmental protection personnel have also been mobilized to combat the oil spill.16 of the 17 crew members were rescued, four of them in a serious and critical condition. The search was still underway for the missing person by the BRP 'Melchora Aquino (MRRV-9702)''. Strong winds and high waves were making the SAR operation challenging. Reports with photos and video: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2024/07/25/olietanker-terra-nova-zinkt-voor-kust-filipijnen-bemanningslid-vermist/ https://x.com/coastguardph/status/1816331614290600307 https://turkdeniz.com/petrol-tankeri-alabora-oldu https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56FoBbJHkR8
LCT CITA XX
The 'Cita XX', which was loaded with telecom equipment for building telecommunication towers and other infrastructure for the communication Ministry of Indonesia, went missing after it sailed from Timika, Central Papu, on July 15 with 12 crew members on board. The landing craft was destined to Yahukimo, Papua Highlands region. On July 16 the ship made a last contact with another passing landing vessel. On July 19, the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas), Timika, was informed about the missing vessel. On July 20 Basarnas launched an SAR operation, which was joined by various small boats and a Navy ship in order to trace the route of the vessel. On July 22, the KRI 'Teluk Lada' of the Indonesian Navy and a surveillance aircraft were mobilised too.
FAR EAST GRACE
Beached at Gadani 24.07.24 https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=967642531823780&set=pcb.967642951823738
ARGOS GEORGIA
The sinking of the 'Argos Georgia' has left at least nine dead and four missing, according to a new report released on July 24 by the Spanish authorities, ten of whom were on board. The weather conditions remained to be very unfavourable, with winds of 35 knots, and waves reaching up to 8 meters high. The 14 survivors were slightly injured. Four fishermen were still missing. Of the 27 people on board the 'Argos Georgia', 10 were Spanish, eight Russian, five Indonesian, two Uruguayan and two Peruvian. Among the 10 Spaniards, six were among the survivors. Two ships with the 14 survivors and the bodies of the nine deceased people on board were underway towards the port of Stanley, where they were expected to arrive at the end of the day.The cause of the sinking is currently unknown, apparently it was caused by a leak in the hull of the ship.
AMERICAN MARINER
The National Transport Safety Board issued a report critical of the master and operator of the 'American Mariner' that touched bottom while maneuvering out of Sault Ste. Marine, Ontario on Jan 7, 2023, saying that the master was required to multitask during a complex maneuver. The report calls for a sufficient number of qualified mariners to be on the bridge, especially at times when a vessel is maneuvering in confined spaces. The report details the circumstances around the incident. Visibility was good and the wind and sea conditions were calm as the vessel began the departure at around 07.20 a.m. from Canadian waters and bound for Superior, Wisconsin. The master was on the bridge while the first mate was supervising unmooring and workboat operations. The bosun and a seaman were on the stern handling lines while other crew had been sent ashore to cast off the mooring lines. The vessel has a total crew of 19, but alone on the bridge, the NTSB concluded the master was required to multitask while managing the departure. The vessel was sailing at about 4 knots and the master had left the bow thruster on because he was expecting a current in the channel which is about 480 feet wide and has a depth of 24 feet. The channel requires a turn and just outside the buoyed channel are shoal waters. As the master straightened the vessel to head outbound, he felt a light shudder. The fathometer read 13 feet below the keel, and he wondered if they had made contact with ice, although none was visible. Using a searchlight, he confirmed they were clear of a buoy. The first mate in the upper engine room felt a bump and reported a loud screeching noise.”He thought they might have contacted a buoy but on deck observed mud and rock debris in the water. Water levels were not responding as expected the engineers reported in the ballast tanks and subsequently, when the vessel was drydocked three days later, an 80-foot-long hull indentation was found. There were holes in three ballast tanks. The repairs cost $600,000. The NTSB determined that the master’s initial angle of departure from the dock and a close approach to the shoal water positioned the vessel at a poor angle to complete the maneuver into the channel. The vessel overshoot the turn touching bottom in the shoal on the opposite side of the channel. The NTSB acknowledged a few other extenuating circumstances. The Canadian Coast Guard in the winter replaces conventional lit buoys with an unlit ice spar buoy to avoid damage to the buoys. On the American Mariner, the master acknowledged that the electronic chart system did not display the footprint of the vessel. Also, safety depths were not programmed into the system. While they concluded that the master’s multitasking made it difficult to manage the navigation, they also highlighted that effective use of all available resources adds to situational awareness. Proper staffing of the bridge during the departure would have provided additional people to react to the situation and manage the required tasks for safe navigation. Report with photos: https://maritime-executive.com/article/ntsb-critical-of-master-alone-of-bridge-multitasking-which-led-to-grounding
ARGOS GEORGIA
Eight sailors have died after the 'Argos Georgia' sank off the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic Ocean. There were 14 survivors, and five fishermen were still missing,. The survivors only suffered minor injuries and are doing well. According to the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, there were ten Spaniards on board the ship, all scientists. Two of them did not survive the shipwreck, two others were still missing. Authorities reported extremely difficult weather conditions in the area, which were complicating the rescue operations. The "Robin M. Lee", a freezer trawler owned by the Vigo company Lafonia and captained by Jorge Sampedro -from Bueu-, was the first to sight one of the rafts. Two people appeared inside it: one dead and the other alive, of Indonesian origin. The "Puerto Toro", another of the fishing vessels involved in the response, recovered two other bodies from a different raft. Hours later, at around 8 p.m. (Spanish time), the Spanish Government increased the death toll to eight. Of the ten Spaniards in the crew, six have survived, two have died (Santiago Leyenda and César Acevedo) and two are missing. The crew of the "Argos Georgia" was made up of ten Spaniards: the captain, the skipper, the cook (from Baiona), the kitchen assistant, the chief and the second engineer, as well as two scientific observers (one, from Castilla-La Stain). The rest come from the following countries: eight Russians, two Uruguayans, two Peruvians and five Indonesians. In addition, the "FPV Lilibet", a Falklands fishing inspection patrol vessel, managed to find a third raft with 13 crew members, who were safe and sound. In this group were the biologist from La Mancha Amparo Burguillos, captain José Saborido Rey, first officer José Ramón Hombre Saborido and chief engineer Ramón García Reiriz (all from Ribeira). After picking up the sailors, the "Lilibet" headed to the port of Stanley so that they could receive medical attention as soon as possible in the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital, the main health center in the Malvinas.. Reports with video: https://www.telecinco.es/noticias/galicia/20240724/espanoles-naufragio-argos-georgia-malvinas-muertos_18_013096014.html?amp=true https://www.farodevigo.es/mar/2024/07/23/localizan-balsas-argos-georgia-desaparecidos-malvinas-105987083.html
CSSC YUAN JING
On July 23, 2024, at 8.22 a.m. LT, the 'Viet Thuan 56-05', with 22 people on board, was in collision with the 'CSSC Yuan Jing' with 19 people on board in the North Bakauheni Waters, Banten, in pos. 05° 44.352' S 105°53.340' E, north of the Sunda Strait TSS. The unloaded 'Viet Thuan 56-05' was en route from Singapore to Panjang Harbor, Lampung. when colliding with the 'CSSC Yuan Jing'. which was ballasting from China to Geraldton, Australia. A KPLP team arrived at the location and immediately carried out inspections of the ships, its crews, ship documents, safety and security conditions and the impact of marine environmental pollution. KPLP officers also coordinated with KSOP Bakauheni in examining and collecting initial evidence at the scene of the incident as a form of initial stage in law enforcement. The 'Viet Thuan 56-05' suffered damage to the foreship at port side, while the 'CSSC Yuan Jing' suffered damage to the rear hull. The two ships have moored in the anchorage area north of Bakauheni in the Sunda Strait to await further investigations and examinations. The 'CSSC Yuan Ying' moored in the TSS area in pos. 05° 47.014' S 105° 49.605' E, the 'Viet Thuan 56-05' in pos. 05° 46.379' S 105° 49.613' E at 10.15 a.m. No leaks or oil spills were reporeted, and all the crew members were in good health. Report with photos and video: https://hubla.dephub.go.id/Indonesianmaritimesafetyinformation/page/news/read/22001/tubrukan-yang-terjadi-antara-mv-viet-thuan-56-05-dan-mv-cssc-yuan-jing-do-di-perairan-utara-tss-selat-sunda-the-collision-occurred-between-mv-viet-thuan-56-05-and-mv-cssc-yuan-jing-do-in-the-northern-waters-of-the-sunda-strait-tss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMBpNsSZ68M
HIGHSPEED 4
On the afternoonof July 24, the Port Authority of Paros was informed by the Master of the "Highspeed 4",, that during the process of removing the starboard anchor in preparation to sail,an obstrction was found on it. The object was successfully removed, and the ship continued on its scheduled route to Piraeus at 6:45 p.m., instead of the scheduled departure at 6:05 p.m.
HAFNIA NILE
The cargo of the 'Hafnia Nile', which consists of 300,000 barrels of naphtha, is believed to be intact. The tanker remained at sea approximately 25 nautical miles north of Malaysia and more than 50 nautical miles from the mainland of Singapore. An additional tug with deep-sea tow capability arrived at the vessel on July 23 in addition to four tugs that were sent to stop the vessel from drifting. The tug also has transfer equipment and can assist with the oil seepage. A minor leak of fuel has been observed from the fire-damaged engine room. Pumps have been transferred onto the ship to prevent further leaks. The tanker is in Malaysian waters awaiting a decision on where it can be towed for repairs and cargo transfer. The salvage crews on board the tanker, are investigating the possibilities of transferring the ship's cargo to a safe place.
NL WARSHIP F803
The Zr.Ms. 'Tromp' was involved in sinking the amphibious assault ship USS 'Tawara' on July 19, 2024, near Hawaii with a missile attack. during the world's largest naval exercise Rim of the Pacific (Rimpac). The launch of the Harpoon rocket was the highlight of the training for the crew. It was a learning experience to apply all the procedures and use the ship's systems for their intended purpose. Medium-range Harpoon anti-ship missiles are fired from 8 angled launch tubes on the midship. It was the first time that a Dutch naval vessel was participating in Rimpac. The 'Tarawa' was one of the largest vessels that U.S. and partner forces have sunk in nearly two decades, a 3rd Fleet news release says. The last time a ship of its class was sunk as part of a military exercise was in 2006, when the former amphibious assault ship 'Belleau Wood' was sent to the bottom during that year’s RIMPAC. One of the munitions used to sink the 'Tarawa' was the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), which was fired from a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet. Sinking the 'Tarawa' also allowed the Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS 'Sydney' to test the Naval Strike Missile, which the Australians are buying to replace its Harpoon missiles. The 'Tarawa' was commissioned in 1976 and went on to take part in Operations Desert Shield and Iraq Freedom while also participating in cyclone relief efforts in Bangladesh. The ship was decommissioned in 2009. Ships and aircraft participating in the live-fire exercise also sank the decommissioned amphibious transport dock USS 'Dubuque' on July 11 as part of this year’s RIMPAC. Both ships were sunk in waters 15,000 feet deep more than 50 nautical miles off Kauai. So far this summer, the U.S. military has also sunk the former amphibious transport dock USS 'Cleveland' as part of Valiant Shield 2024, and a Marine AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter sank a towed target using an AGM-179 Air-to-Ground Missile, or JAGM. https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/museums/nmusn/explore/photography/ships-us/ships-usn-t/uss-tarawa-lha-1.html https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/d/dubuque--lpd-8--ii-1967-2011.html
ZHONG SHAN MEN
The MRCC in Mumbai received a distress call on July 23 from the 'Zhong Shan Men' about 200 nautical miles from Mumbai reporting t a 51 year old Chinese crew member, suffering from heavy blood loss due to critical injury. The ship requested an immediate medevac. The Indian Coast Guard coordinated with the Indian Navy, and a #Seaking helicopter was launched from the Air Station Shikra in challenging weather conditions. The victim was airlifted for further medical care. He was reported to be stable. Photos: https://x.com/IndiaCoastGuard/status/1816013827227734483
GUARDAMAR CALIOPE
On July 23, 2024, a migrant boat with 140 people on board was located 222 kilometers south of Gran Canaria, among them 20 women and two children, all of sub-Saharan origin, by the LNG tanker 'LNG Borno', that was heading towards Nigeria from Portugal. The captain of the tanker reported that the sea conditions were bad, with strong waves and intense wind, so he was instructed to stay close to the canoe and not lose sight of it until a rescue ship arrived. At 2:10 p.m., the 'Guardamar Calíope' confirmed that it had rescued all the occupants of the boat and was sailing back to the port of Arguineguín with an ETA at around 10:00 p.m.
ROYAL ROMANCE
A Croatian court has canceled the seizure of the 'Royal Romance' of Viktor Medvedchuk's collaborator due to the lack of an indictment in a criminal case from the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. This decision threatened to lose an asset worth $200 million , which could significantly support the Ukrainian budget and army. On June 25, the District Court of Split ruled to cancel the arrest of traitor Viktor Medvedchuk's yacht. The decision stated that the reason for the arrest was the absence of an indictment in a criminal case from the Office of the Prosecutor General . In April 2022, the Split District Court seized Medvedchuk's property at the request of the Office of the Prosecutor General of Ukraine. The seizure was extended six times , but in May 2024, the selected auction house, which was supposed to sell the asset, refused to make a deal due to the work of Medvedchuk's lawyers from the international law firm Steptoe . Delays in the investigation of criminal proceedings against Medvedchuk led to the fact that the arrest of the yacht was canceled . The absence of an indictment was the key reason for this decision. Thus, ARMA cannot enforce national court decisions to sell the vessel, and Ukraine risks losing this expensive asset. The yacht is valued at $200 million. The Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) put up for sale the seized ATVs of collaborator Viktor Medvedchuk and contraband electronics, including smartphones and tablets, on the Prozorro.Sale platform. The acquisition of these assets will bring significant financial revenues to the state and contribute to the development of the economy. PGO: Medvedchuk's yacht in Croatia seized indefinitely However, the yacht remains under indefinite seizure in line with EU sanctions, the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) emphasizes under two proceedings against the former MP, in which the specified person has the status of a suspect or accused. The prosecutors from the Prosecutor General's Office, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, continued to take measures to confiscate and sell the ship. Since 2022, the court has been considering an indictment on the facts of high treason and violation of the laws and customs of war by the former MP. In another proceeding - on the facts of assistance to the activities of terrorist organizations "L/DPR" - a pretrial investigation has been completed. Through the joint efforts of the PGO, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and thanks to the evidence base collected by the SBU and the SBI, the EU institutions and authorized persons were provided with the information necessary to make a decision on imposing sanctions on the assets of the former MP, including the yacht Royal Romance. As a result, on May 27, the European Union imposed personal sanctions against the suspect and his wife. The 'Royal Romance' is currently under seizure on the basis of indefinite sanctions in the port of Trogir and cannot leave the EU territory. Joint work continues with the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and international partners to develop a mechanism for its confiscation and sale.