News

The' Isle of Cumbrae', operating on the route Largs-Cumbrae, suffered an issue with the ramp on April 11. The vessel was currently unavailable for service as a consequence. Repairs took place in Largs. A further update will be provided on the morning of April 12. The 'Loch Shira' is operating as normal.

On the afternoon of April 6, 2025, the "Gjert Wilhelmsen" went out to the sunken fishing vessel 'Svanen' outside Hasvik. nine nautical miles from the NSSR station. The artist and tourist host Bilal Saab was nearby and had beem able to pick up the fisherman aboard the fishing boat. Shortly afterwards, the "Gjert Wilhelmsen" arrived to attempt to salvage the boat, the bow of which was still sticking out of the water on an air bubble. The fishing vessel 'Ragnhild Hatland' (MMSI: 257127930) assisted in the attempt. Bilal Saab and a colleague were fishing off Sørøya in Finnmark, when they suddenly saw a fishing boat lying very low in the water. They approached the boat as fast as they could. It took 30 seconds for the 'Svanen' to sink. When Bilal and his colleague, Kai Finbråten, got to the boat, the entire deck was filled with water. The man on board had to jump into the icy water. It took almost half an hour from the time the man was rescued until he received further assistance at the health center in Hasvik. He had a temperature of 31 degrees when he entered the health center. Report with photos, audio and video: https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/bilal-saab-reddet-fisker-fra-forlis-utenfor-soroya-i-finnmark-1.17372841 https://x.com/NSSR/status/1908974240528805984

On April 11, the 'Salvamar Alpheratz' escorted a cayuco with 41 occupants, among them five women and one minor, that was located three nautical miles south of Las Galletas, to the port of Los Cristianos. The alert was given by the Guardia Civil at 8:10 a.m. local time. The response was coordinated by the CCS of Salvamento Maritimo in Tenerife. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1910634547793829921

The NTSB has issued an investigation report into the allision between the fishing vessel 'Papa Rod' and the 'Appaloosa'. On May 2, 2024, about 09.30 a.m. LT, the 'Papa Rod' was underway 25 miles south of Venice, Louisiana, when it collided with the bulk carrier, which was anchored east of the entrance to Southwest Pass. There were no injuries, and no pollution was reported. The damage to the vessels was estimated to be about $223,000. While the fishing vessel was near Southwest Pass, it was on autopilot. The deckhand on watch (deckhand 2) stated that he fell asleep at the helm. The toxicology results for deckhand 2 indicated that he had used the stimulant drug methamphetamine and a psychoactive cannabis product. The high levels of methamphetamine and its metabolite amphetamine in his urine (over 10,000 nanograms per milliliter) generally increase the likelihood that methamphetamine had been abused. However, this is not definitive, and urine toxicology results generally cannot be used to determine the precise timing of last drug use or the details of associated impairment. Therefore, whether deckhand 2 was impaired by the effects of his methamphetamine or cannabis use at the time of the allision could not be determined. Effects from methamphetamine abuse follow a typical pattern, dominated by central nervous system stimulation in the early phase, with features of central nervous system depression emerging later as initial drug effects wear off. Such features of central nervous system depression may include sleepiness, which can be intense. Additionally, methamphetamine and amphetamine use may also interfere with proper sleep, causing sleep loss, which can lead to fatigue. Similarly, cannabis use can contribute to drowsiness in some individuals, either through acute drug effects or interference with restful sleep. The investigators could not determine the amount of sleep deckhand 2 received before joining the 'Papa Rod'. Although deckhand 2 reported getting seven hours of rest/sleep before taking watch, he stated that deckhand 1 had to “holler” at him two or three times before he awakened, indicating he had difficulty waking up. Given deckhand 2’s urine results, his difficulty awakening and drowsiness could have been an effect of his drug use or a related sleep debt. However, whether deckhand 2’s drug use increased his drowsiness at the time of the allision could not be determined. The National Transportation Safety Board determined that the probable cause of the allision was the on-watch deckhand falling asleep while operating the Papa Rod. Possibly contributing to his drowsiness were effects of his drug use or a related sleep debt. Full report: https://safety4sea.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/NTSB-Collision-between-Fishing-Vessel-Papa-Rod-and-Anchored-Bulk-Carrier-Appaloosa-2025_04.pdf

On the afternoon of April 6, 2025, the 'Ragnhild Hatland' assisted the lifeboat "Gjert Wilhelmsen" in an attempt to salvage the sunken fishing vessel 'Svanen' outside Hasvik. nine nautical miles from the NSSR station. The artist and tourist host Bilal Saab was nearby and had beem able to pick up the fisherman aboard the fishing boat. Shortly afterwards, the "Gjert Wilhelmsen" arrived to attempt to salvage the boat, the bow of which was still sticking out of the water on an air bubble. Bilal Saab and a colleague were fishing off Sørøya in Finnmark, when they suddenly saw a fishing boat lying very low in the water. They approached the boat as fast as they could. It took 30 seconds for the 'Svanen' to sink. When Bilal and his colleague, Kai Finbråten, got to the boat, the entire deck was filled with water. The man on board had to jump into the icy water. It took almost half an hour from the time the man was rescued until he received further assistance at the health center in Hasvik. He had a temperature of 31 degrees when he entered the health center. Report with photos, audio and video: https://www.nrk.no/tromsogfinnmark/bilal-saab-reddet-fisker-fra-forlis-utenfor-soroya-i-finnmark-1.17372841 https://x.com/NSSR/status/1908974240528805984