East of Lanzarote: an Inflatable boat was located by the 'Cima de Oro' on Sep 25, 2024. The 43 imigrants boarded the fishing vessel, and some fell into the water during the transfer, but have been rescued. The castaways were transferred to the SAR boat 'Guardamar Urania'. The 'Guardamar Talía' also has rescued 54 from another inflatable boat and the 'Salvamar Al Nair' 68 people from a third. boat All 165 rescued were transferred to Arrecife. Report with video: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1838943980022612109
News
DALI
The cost of clearing the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge from the Patapsco River in Baltimore has risen roughly 42% since July, to more than $71 million. Maryland officials initially awarded a $50 million contract to Skanska, a Swedish construction company with a U.S. headquarters in New York, for clearing large sections of highway bridge trusses, steel girders, the main bridge deck and concrete parapets. The $21 million increase, which the Board of Public Works was expected to approve on Oct 2, covers the cost of cranes, large hopper barges, labor and equipment for an additional two weeks of work and processing of steel from the bridge’s main span, which wasn’t considered in the original cost estimate, according to state meeting documents. The contract modification is needed to compensate Skanska for the total work on this emergency procurement, the Maryland Transportation Authority said on Sep 23. Early estimates for the Key Bridge removal, which were based on Skanska’s demolition of the old Gov. Harry W. Nice Memorial/Sen. Thomas “Mac” Middleton Bridge, changed after contracting employees and subcontractors arrived on site, BPW meeting documents state. The company found that large sections of the Key Bridge had settled into the bottom of the river, requiring team members to find and mobilize specialized equipment. The state and Skanska pushed their initial timeline back two weeks, and the additional work and equipment added another $21 million to the contract. The Skanska contract was administered through the Maryland Transportation Authority, an independent state agency responsible for the state’s eight toll facilities, including the Key Bridge. The state has covered its contract using money set aside from toll revenue, but officials are expected to apply for federal reimbursement. A portion of the proceeds from a $350 million Chubb insurance payout are also available to cover debris removal and salvage work, according to the MDTA. Meanwhile Maryland officials announced a new lawsuit on Sep 24 echoing several other recent filings. The state’s claim seeks punitive damages against Grace Ocean Private Ltd. And Synergy Marine Group as well as costs associated with cleaning up the wreckage and rebuilding the bridge. It also cites lost toll revenues, environmental contamination, damage to the state’s natural resources and other damages. Officials said they’re still working to quantify the total monetary loss.
TADORNE
On Sep 25, 2024, the 'Tadorne', with one crew member on board, suffered an uncontrolled leak 59 nautical miles northnorthwest of Punta Gorda (La Palma). The skipper requested an evacuation, and the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 201, which hoisted him from the half-sunken yacht and transferred him to Tenerife South in good condition.
OLYMPIC SCOUT
The National Transportation Safety Board said on Sep 24, 2024, that the captain of the 'Montlake' failed to line up his vessel correctly while approaching the Hylebos Bridge in Tacoma, Washington on Oct 12, 2023,, causing the assisting tug 'Olympic Scout' to strike the bridge’s already deteriorated fender system. The 'Montlake', coupled to the 'Sodo', a 289-foot-long, 78-foot-wide barge, forming an articulated tug and barge unit, and was navigatomg outbound on the Hylebos Waterway in Tacoma. The captain requested the Hylebos Bridge operator to open the bridge. While waiting, the ATB had to pause,, causing its bow to drift from the channel’s center towards port side. Although the captain attempted to steer starboard to align with the bridge, the drag from the 'Olympic Scout' on the port bow prevented the ATB from moving in that direction. When the ATB began its transit of the waterway, it was 1,276 feet from the bridge. The channel between the Hylebos Bridge fenders measured 150 feet wide. However, the combined width of the 'Montlake/Sodo' (78 feet) and the 'Olympic Scout' (26 feet) was 104 feet, leaving only 23 feet of clearance on each side of the vessels. Because of the short distance to the bridge and the speed of the ATB, there was insufficient time to correct the lineup before the 'Olympic Scout' struck the fender. The investgators suggested that slowing or fully stopping the ATB’s forward motion earlier would have provided the operators more time to correct the lineup and successfully transit through the opening between the bridge’s protective fendering. While the Hylebos Bridge itself remained undamaged, the fender system required replacement at a cost of $2.43 million. Notably, precasualty inspections in 2017 and 2022 had already identified significant deterioration of the fender piles due to marine borer damage and fungal decay. A marine surveying and consulting firm stated, The damage caused by the [Olympic Scout contact] resulted in significantly more damage being sustained as would have been, had the fendering structure been of sufficient structural strength. Full report: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2426.pdf
GEO BARENTS
After the disembarkation on the morning of Sep 23 in Genoa, the Italian authorities imposed a double detention on the 'Geo Barents'. The first measure, provided for by the Piantedosi decree, provided for a 60-day detention and was based on the recurring accusations of not having respected the instructions of the so-called Libyan Coast Guard during the rescue of people in difficulty at sea. The second detention order followed an inspection of the ship by Port State Control, which found eight technical deficiencies. It wais the fourth time that the ship has been detained for fulfilling its legal obligation to save lives at sea. Accordiong to Doctors without Frontiers, the measures clearly demonstrate that the authorities want to prevent the 'Geo Barents' from returning to sea. The Italian authorities continue to give credibility to the Libyan Coast Guard, accused by the UN and other human rights NGOs of committing crimes against humanity".