On April 12, 2025, a crew member of the 'Baltic' sustained serious injuries. At around 9 a.m., the tug reported to the MRCC in Bremen, that he had fallen from a height of approximately three to four meters and needed urgently medical attention. The "Baltic" was approximately 7.5 nautical miles of Warnemünde at the time. The lifeboat 'Arkona' of the DGzRS station in Warnemünde set sail immediately, taking a volunteer marine doctor aboard the daughter boat 'Caspar'. Once on scene, the 'Arkona' moored alongside the "Baltic" in westerly winds of force three to four Beaufort. The marine , a sea rescuer trained as a paramedic, and a volunteer sea rescuer trained as a rescue paramedic, embarked onto the tug in moderate sea conditions. They initially stabilized the victim on board the tug and then transferred him to the 'Arkona' on a stretcher. He was transported to Warnemünde, where he was transferred to the shore based rescue service for further transport to hospital.
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FRANCISCO JAVIER UNO
On March 14, 2025, the 'Francisco Javier Uno' suffered an engine failure and was disabled and adrift one nautical mile north of Punta Langosteira and requested towing assistance. The CCS A Coruña of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR boat 'Salvamar Beteigeue' (MMSI: 225986508), which took the fishing vessel in tow and safely pulled it to the Oza dock in A Coruña.
EVENTIN
The German authorities must await a court decision before they can potentially dispose of the seized "Eventin." The ship is believed to belong to Russia's shadow fleet.According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, legal action has been filed against the seizure. Further enforcement measures must be waived until the competent court makes its decision. The responsible authorities, meanwhile examined and confirmed the ship's seaworthiness. Maritime safety and the threat situation remained subject to ongoing review. The ship, which is moored off Sassnitz on the island of Rügen, is to be relocated promptly to a so-called dangerous goods anchorage, approximately three nautical miles from its current mooring.
SEWOL
The sinking of the 'Sewol' was caused by internal structural failures, including a malfunctioning steering system and poor stability, according to recently revealed findings from government investigations ahead of the 11th anniversary of the tragedy. The Mokpo branch of the Korea Maritime Safety Tribunal said on April 14, 2025, that a special panel issued its conclusion on the tragedy in November last year — 10 years and 7 months after the ferry sank on April 16, 2014. While court rulings apply to general legal cases, maritime accidents in Korea are subject to the tribunal’s decisions. The tribunal’s judgment document functions similarly to a court verdict. The panel fully ruled out the theory that external factors, such as a collision, caused the ferry to sink, according to the tribunal’s findings: “Based on findings following the vessel's salvage and inspection, we did not confirm any evidence of external forces that could have caused an abrupt turn, such as hull damage. As there was no credible evidence of external impact, we did not consider that theory in our determination.” Instead, the panel found that the abrupt turn made by the ferry was not due to human error by the helmsman but rather a mechanical failure in the ship's steering system. The panel also took the arguments from a 2018 investigation that claimed the solenoid valve in Pump No. 2 of the steering gear was stuck and led the steering system to malfunction. At the time of the accident, the ship’s stability was already severely compromised. This was due to extensive structural modifications made to increase the passenger capacity, which raised the ship’s center of gravity. Although vessels with weakened stability must carry less cargo, the 'Sewol' was found to have been carrying nearly twice the amount allowed in its stability calculations — 2,021 tons, instead of the permitted 1,077 tons. To make matters worse, the cargo had not been properly secured. The unfastened cargo made the ferry severely tilt while making a turn. Water then flooded through the openings in the outer hull, resulting in the loss of stability, according to the panel’s conclusion. Out of the 476 people on board, 304 were killed or went missing in the disaster. The tribunal attributed the scale of the human toll to the crew's failure to take active rescue measures.
NIELS
The upper part of the wheelhouse of the 'Niels' collapsed due to a broken support cable on April 14, 2025, on the Juliana Canal near Urmond. The skipper was hit by the ceiling of the cabin on his head and suffered back injuries. He was no longer able to get out himself. The emergency services responded to the accident aboard the pusher tug at the Paalweg, where the ship was moored. A trauma helicopter was also called in, although it did not ultimately have to take action. With the help of the fire brigade, the injured man was carefully lifted out of the cabin and off the ship. He was taken to hospital by ambulance. The labor inspectorate indicated that it has completed its investigation into the incident. Reports with photos and video: https://www.limburger.nl/regio/stein/urmond/stuurhut-duwboot-zakt-vanwege-gebroken-steunkabel-in-op-julianakanaal-bij-urmond-schipper-gewond/56698925.html https://www.hbvl.be/nieuws/schipper-gewond-nadat-stuurhut-duwboot-zakt-vanwege-gebroken-steunkabel-op-julianakanaal-in-urmond-vlak-bij-belgische-grens/56789930.html