Two Amver ships rescued all 64 students and crew of the Canadian sailing vessel Concordia after it sank 344 miles off the coast of Rio de Janiero Wednesday, February 17th.
Brazilian rescue authorities diverted the Philippine flagged Hokuetsu Delight and the Cayman Island flagged Crystal Pioneer to the scene of the distress. According to a press release from West Island College Class Afloat, parent organization of the Concordia, Brazilian rescue aircraft located a safety boat and life rafts on the evening of February 18th.
The Crystal Pioneer, an Amver participant since November 2008, located the lifeboats early Friday morning February 19th. New reports stated the Crystal Pioneer could not begin rescue operations until first light due to the darkness and rough seas. The Crystal Pioneer, managed by MMS Company Ltd, rescued 20 people while the Hokuetsu Delight, managed by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, rescued the remaining 44 students and crew. The Hokuetsu Delight has been participating in Amver for 10 years.
By Saturday, February 20th all the Concordia survivors had arrived Safely in Rio de Janeiro.
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Photo credit: Stephen Rees
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Two AMVER Vessels Particpates In The Rescue Of 64 Canadian Citizens From The Saling Training Vessel "S/V Concordia"
It started on Thursday Febuary 18 2010 at 3:00 PM when the Canadian Armed Forces Hailfax Joint Rescue Co-Ordination Centre recieved the "S/V Concordia" 406 mhz distress beacon alert. The information that 406 mhz distress beacon sent indicated that the "S/V Concordia" was located 300 nautical miles off the coast of Brazil.That information was relayed to the Brazillian Navy for search and rescue action. As well the "S/V Concordia sent out a radio distress call at 5:00 PM (Rio Time) and indicated that they are abandoning their ship for liferafts equipped with blankets and food. Nearby there was two merchantmen the AMVER particpating vessels "M/V Hokuetsu Delight" and "M/V Crystal Pioneer" who heard the radio distress from the "S/V Concordia". As soon as the "M/V Hokuetsu Delight" and the "M/V Crystal Pioneer" heard the radio distress call from the " S/V Concordia" they diverted from there set courses and was proceeding to the last known positon of the "S/V Concordia". Meanwhile the Brazillian Navy who was the SAR Mission Co-Ordinator tasked, a Brailizian Air Force search and rescue fixed wing aircraft (C-130) hercules to the last known postion of the "S/V Concordia" and located three liferafts at 8:00 PM (Rio Time) and dropped A SKAD kit (Survival Kit Air Droppable) to the three liferafts that contained 64 persons from the "S/V Concordia" It was going to be along night a head of them for the suriviors of the "S/V Concordia", in there liferafts in the South Alantic Ocean, it would be 15 1/2 hours before the "M/V Hokuetsu Delight" and "M/V Crystal Pioneer" would arrive on scene to pick them up. At 8:30 AM (Rio Time) the "M/V Hokuetsu Delight" and "M/V Crystal Pioneer" arrived on scene and started picking up the 64 survivoirs of "S/V Concordia".Edgardo Ybranez, captain of the Philippine flagged "Hokuetsu Delight" said that his ship rescued 48 of the victims in rough, dangerous seas. The 20 remaining people were picked up "M/V Crystal Pioneer"Ybranez said the Concordia's doctor had suffered an injury before the rescue, "but he is OK now". The Brazilian Navy has tasked a Frigate, The Brazilian ship "Constituicao" (F42)
To pick up the people and the transfer will be down by helicopter hoist from the merchantships to the frigate that is due to the roughness of the seas.And this will be done by a Westland Super Lynx Naval Helicopter.
By Ken White
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