Cruise ship joins Amver and assists in rescue within a month

One month after enrolling in the Amver program, the cruise ship Norwegian Breakaway was called upon to assist a 27 foot sailboat adrift near New York City.

On Sunday, June 16, 2013 U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities in New York City received a distress call from a 27 foot pleasure craft in the Jones, Inlet. The boat had four people on board and was dead in the water.The crew was unable to drop an anchor and the crew was requesting Coast Guard assistance.

Rescue personnel at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York located the Norwegian Breakaway near the last known position of the small craft and asked the sailors to launch a flare. The crew of the Norwegian Breakaway saw the flare and sailed to the position of the disabled vessel. Norwegian Breakaway gave the Coast Guard the exact coordinates of the disabled boat and, once additional rescue resources were on the way, sailed on to its destination.

The Coast Guard sent a helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City using the coordinates provided by the cruise ship and found the disabled boat. A 47 foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook then located the disabled boat and towed it to shore.

The Bahamian flagged cruise ship, managed by Norwegian Cruise Lines, enrolled in Amver on May 9, 2013. This is its first call to action.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Amver container ship saves 4 near Bermuda

Four sailors were rescued by an Amver participating container ship after their 46 foot sailboat became demasted and the engine was fouled approximately 129 miles south east of Bermuda on June 14, 2013.

The crew of the sailboat activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alerting Bermuda rescue authorities. Bermuda rescue personnel also contacted U.S. Coast Guard personnel in Portsmouth, Va. who queried the Amver system and located the 885 foot container ship Altamira Express and requested the ship divert to assist the sailboat.  The Bermuda flagged ship was only 12 miles from the distress location.

The Altamira Express contacted U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities that the crew had rescued all four yachtsmen in good health and disembarked them in Cagliari, Italy on June 24, 2013.

The Altamira Express, managed by Hapag-Lloyd AG of Hamburg, Germany, enrolled in Amver on January 1, 1988 and earned 12 Amver participation awards.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Welcome Wednesday!

A wild week in world of shipping. The MOL Comfort broke in two, resulting in a search and rescue case that saved all 26 crew. The ship that rescued the Comfort crew was an Amver participant. You could be part of the largest voluntary life saving organization as well by enrolling in Amver today.

• ACEOIL NO. 1
• AFRICAN KITE
• BERGEN TRADER I
• DRACO OCEAN
• GULF SHIP 278
• HAI XUN 01
• HOS RED DAWN
• JULES BARNIER
• MAERSK KOWLOON
• MOUNT HIKURANGI
• NIKKEI SIRIUS
• OCEAN DELTA
• OCEAN TOPAZ
• PACIFIC TOPAZ
• POLSA SEIS
• RMC RIGEL
• SAFARI ENDEAVOUR
• SANTA ADRIANA
• SFL SPEY
• STI GARNET
• TAYLOR JAMES
• TILL JACOB

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver ship saves 3 in the Atlantic

Three French sailors were rescued by an Amver participating tanker after they decided to abandon their 33 foot sailboat over 1,000 miles off the Massachusetts coast on Tuesday, June 11, 2013.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel in Boston received a call from the French Mission Control Center about three sailors aboard a 33 foot sailboat with a partially disabled rudder. Two of the sailors requested to be taken off the stricken yacht.

The Coast Guard, using an Amver Surface Picture (SURPIC), located the Singapore flagged oil tanker Torm Neches and requested it sail toward the distress location. The tanker was 70 miles from the last known position of the sailboat.

The crew of the Amver ship arrived on the scene but there was a slight communications problem, the crew of the tanker was unable to speak French. Thankfully the language of search and rescue is easy to understand and as the Torm Neches prepared to rescue the survivors, the yachtsmen donned life jackets.

"Please note two survivors have come aboard my vessel in a small dingy, the third one is preparing to come aboard," stated Captain Rakesh Mehra from the bridge of the Torm Neches. The third sailor made it aboard the Amver ship. French rescue personnel notified the survivor's families of their situation.

It is not know where the survivors were taken.

The Torm Neches, managed by Torm Singapore Pte Ltd, enrolled in Amver on October 6, 2000 and has earned 7 Amver participation awards

Photo credit: marrinetraffic.com

Welcome Wednesday!

Each week we have the honor of sharing the latest members of the Amver family. These are the latest to enroll in Amver, making it easier for rescue authorities to manage emergency incidents at sea. Will you help and join their ranks?

• ACE SHANGHIA
• AQUARIUS-G
• BAHRI TABUK
• BERGE ODEL
• BLUE CRYSTAL
• BORDEIRA
• BOW PIONEER
• CASTA DIVA
• CLIPPER HELVETIA
• DELMA
• DURBAN BAY
• FLAG TOM
• FORTE DE SAO FELIPE
• JACK BATES
• KAPETAN TRADER I
• KOUYOU
• LIBERTY DESIRE
• LOCH ROAG
• MAERSK GABARUS
• ORE SALVADOR
• ROYAL PRINCESS
• RUI NING 5
• SIGGI
• STENAWECO JULIA L
• SUNLIGHT LILY
• TOPAZ

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver reefer performs medical rescue in the Atlantic

The Amver participating reefer Dole Africa rescued a 41 year old woman suffering abdominal pains from a 31 foot sailboat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday, May 25, 2013.

U.S. Coast Guard rescue personnel in Boston received a call from French rescue authorities in Griz Nez about the ill sailor aboard the sailboat Oanaz. The Coast Guard immediately queried the Amver system and diverted the Bahamian flagged ship to assist.

The sailboat was more than 1,000 miles off the coast of Nantucket, Mass. Despite the remote location, the Amver system was able to locate the Dole Africa and divert the ship to assist. "We'll have the victim on our ship in 30 minutes," Dole Africa Captain Lukomski reported to rescue authorities when he was asked to assist.

Within 40 minutes of being alerted to the emergency, the 492 foot ship was lowering a rescue boat to embark the ill sailor. A half an hour later the sailor was safely aboard the Dole Africa and the crew was assessing her medical condition.

"The patient was complaining of abdominal pains and had decreased vital signs," reported Captain Lukomski to Coast Guard medical personnel in Portsmouth, Va. Based on the medical complaints of the patient, a Coast Guard flight surgeon suggested the crew monitor the patient for a possible ruptured appendix. The Dole Africa continued on its voyage to Puerto, Rico.

The patient's condition improved and she was walking around the ship until she was transferred to medical personnel when the Dole Africa arrived in Puerto, Rico.

The Dole Africa, managed by Reefership Marine Services of San Jose, Costa Rica, enrolled in the Amver system on January 1, 1995 and has earned 10 Amver participation awards.

Photo credit: marinetraffic.com

Welcome Wednesday!

Who enrolled in Amver this week? 26 more ships, one of which may be yours! If so, thank you for joining. If you haven't joined, would you consider enrolling? While you sign up, let's take a moment to recognize the newest members of the Amver safety network.

• AAL FREMANTLE
• AAL SHNAGHAI
• APL RAFFLES
• ATLANTIC TERN
• BRASIL 2014
• CANO
• FLAG THENIA
• INDIGO HOPE
• INDUS VICTORY
• IOLCOS COMMANDER
• JUSTICE EXPRESS
• KATHERINE
• KOTA BANGGA
• LIBERTY DAWN
• MARJORIE K
• ORIENTE GLORIA
• PETALIDI
• PRT HOPE
• RTM TASMAN
• STAR LOFOTEN
• SUNNY VISTA
• TRANSTIME
• TW HAMBURG
• VIKTOR BAKAEV
• YASA ORION
• ZIM MOSKVA

Photo credit: Fotolia

Welcome Wednesday!

What a week! We're on the road attending an Arctic Council meeting and Norshipping to present Amver awards to Norwegian ship managers. Today, though, we want to recognize the latest members of the Amver safety network. These ships enrolled to make sure no call for help goes unanswered.

• BLUE AQUAMARINE
• CAPE CHALLENGER I
• EASTERN CAPE
• HAPPY PELICAN
• HYUNDAI JAKARTA
• LOWLANDS PATRASECHE
• MAERSK KUSHIRO
• MANIFESTO
• MAPLE PEARL
• MERIDIAN EXPRESS
• MINO
• NAVE RIGEL
• NORD SAVANNAH
• OAK BAY
• PEDRO ALVARES CABRAL
• SEAFRIEND
• SKIATHOS
• THUNDER BAY
• VISHVA CHETA