Amver Ship Saves Refugees

The Amver participating ship SKS Trinity rescued nine Algerian refugees from their capsized boat off the coast of Spain on June 17th. Despite the dramatic rescue one refugee died after the rescue.

According to Captain Vladimir Bugrimov, master of the Norwegian flagged ship, his crew sighted a small wooden boat with 1o people aboard. Within minutes of finding the men their boat capsized. With winds blowing between 20 and 25 knots and seas of 8 feet, Captain Bugrimov knew time was of the essence.

Adrift


A small wooden boat with Algerian refugees spotted by the M/V SKS Trinity off the coast of Spain.

To The Rescue

Captain Bugrimov immediately sounded the man overboard alarm and crew began heaving flotation devices into the water. He broadcast the man overboard to all ships in the vicinity, notified local search and rescue authorities and had the crew launch their rescue boat.


A rescue boat from the SKS Trinity launched to rescue survivors.

As the crewmen of the Trinity were rescuing the refugees, search and rescue authorities on shore coordinated their response. A rescue helicopter was launched and the Cartagena search and rescue vessel Slavamar Mimosa raced to assist.

The survivors were taken aboard the Trinity and given first aid, clothing, food, water and transferred to the rescue vessel Salvamar Mimosa for transport to shore. The SKS Trinity, an Amver participant since February, 1999, earned its 10 year participation award this year and continues to actively report to the Amver system.


Refugees safely aboard the SKS Trinity.

We are grateful to the crew of the SKS Trinity for their fast work and quick thinking. Their actions resulted in the rescue of nine lives. We also applaud K. G. Jebsen Skipsrederi for the company's commitment to safety at sea by enrolling their vessels in the Amver system.

Has your ship encountered refugees?

Photo credit: Crew of the M/V SKS Trinity

World Ship Society

Tonight I had the pleasure of talking to members of the World Ship Society, Port of New York Branch. The World Ship Society is an organization for people that enjoy anything to do with shipping. The Port of New York Branch focuses primarily on passenger and cruise ships. They were a great group and had excellent questions. One of the most useful features of the Port of New York Branch's website is the directory of passenger ship arrival and departures.

The members of the Port of New York branch welcomed the Oceanic back to New York Harbor last week and toured it as well.

I enjoyed sharing the Amver story with them and hearing their stories. My sincere thanks for allowing me to address your group.

Benjamin Strong, Director of Amver Maritime Relations

Photo credit: uploaded to Flickr by nickherber

Amver Supports World Maritime Day

The United States Coast Guard has the distinct pleasure of hosting the 2009 International Maritime Organization World Maritime Day Parallel Event. The event will be held October 16, 2009 at Pier Sixty in New York City.

The theme for this years event is Climate Change, A Challenge for IMO Too. The Coast Guard has partnered with the North American Marine Environment Protection Association and hope you will take interest in the event as well. This is a perfect opportunity to showcase your companies Green initiatives or environmentally responsible shipping.

United States Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Thad Allen, and IMO Secretary General Efthimious Mitropoulos look forward to seeing you at this signature event.

Amver will be exhibiting at World Maritime Day. Please contact Carleen Lyden-Kluss for more information about World Maritime Day or how you can get involved.

You can learn more about the event here, download the flier here (link to pdf), or visit the event sponsor's website.

How will you celebrate World Maritime Day?

Disabled Vessel Assisted By Amver Ship

The Amver participating commercial ship British Trader was diverted by United States Coast Guard search and rescue authorities early Saturday June 27th to assist a disabled vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. The British Trader arrived on the scene, launched a rescue boat, and boarded the disabled vessel to see if they could repair their engines. The British Trader crew could not repair the engine and coordinated with an Offshore Supply Vessel to tow the disabled boat to port.

As we learn more we will update the blog.

Photo credit: Fotolia

Greek Amver Tanker Rescues 7 Fishermen

A Greek oil tanker participating in the Amver system was contacted by a United States Coast Guard long range surveillance aircraft and diverted to rescue seven Ecuadorian fishermen after their boat sank 170 miles off the Columbia Ecuador coast June 5, 2009.

Tanker To The Rescue



The tanker Andes, en route to Esmeraldas to load product, was notified by a United States Coast Guard aircraft on a routine patrol that the fishermen were in distress. The master of the Andes quickly mustered the crew and turned his ship in the direction of the sinking fishing boat.

The Coast Guard aircraft dropped life rafts and survival equipment to the seven fishermen as the Andes headed to their rescue.

Within two hours of being notified, crewmen on the Greek flagged tanker, managed by the Tsakos Group, observed flashing lights near the distress position. As darkness fell, the Coast Guard aircraft continued to circle over the survivors and direct the tanker to their location

The master of the Andes maneuvered the tanker alongside the life rafts and the crew began rescue operations. According to the Andes master "Because of the high freeboard and the elderly crew in the lifeboats we readied a rescue boat to launch if the last attempt was unsuccessful." The last survivors, with the help of additional Andes crewmen, were able to make the transfer between the life raft and the tanker.

Rescued


The 7 crewmen from the sunken fishing vessel Cindy rescued by the Amver participating Greek tanker Andes.

Has your vessel been involved in a rescue? Send us photos or video an see your story here.

Photo credit: The crew of the Andes and Tsakos Group

Welcome Wednesday!

It's been a busy week at Amver. One thing that doesn't change, however, is the welcome we extend to our newest members. Is your ship listed below? It should be. Don't know how to enroll your vessel in Amver? Read how you can become part of our family here.

Let's welcome the new participants:

• SPRING SWEETBRIER
• MARITEC
• MINERVA VERA
• FOUR MOGAMI
• OM IRIDIUM
• TEN FEI HAI
• FLASH
• FREEDRICO II
• CSAV ITAJAI
• STOLT KITE
• OCEAN GAS
• KODAIJISAN
• LIQUID POWER
• PEPPINO BOTTIGLIERI
• GEORGIOS
• IRMGARD SCHULTE
• JG APARNA
• OVERSEAS NIKISKI
• UBC MOIN
• BELUGA FINESSE
• COSTA LUMINOSA
• MAERSK BOGOR
• ALBANE

When will one of these vessels be called upon to assist in a maritime distress? Hopefully never. It should be reassuring to all who go down to the sea, however, that these vessels make themselves available.

Is that your ship listed above? Leave us a comment and say hello!

Photo credit: Fotolia

Amver Container Ship Rescues Italian Sailor

The Amver participating container ship Maersk Missouri rescued an Italian yachtsman 300 miles off the coast of Halifax, Canada on Fathers Day, June 21, 2009. The sailor, Gianfranco Tortolani, was sailing in the Original Single Handed Trans-Atlantic Race from the United Kingdom to Newport, Rhode Island when his sailboat capsized and was demasted.

Demasted


Gianfranco Tortolani seen from the bridge wing of the Amver participating container ship Maersk Missouri.

Tortolani, aboard the sailboat Cittia De Salerno, activated his emergency beacon which started an international rescue effort involving aircraft from Canada, the United States Coast Guard, and commercial ships.

United States Coast Guard authorities, using Amver search and rescue data, diverted the U.S. flagged container ship Maersk Missouri, which was only a few miles from the distress, to assist.

The Maersk Missouri, managed by Maersk Lines Limited of Virginia Beach, VA, quickly changed course and, despite winds in excess of 20 knots and swells of 16 feet, hoisted the yachtsman aboard the ship.

Safe and Sound


Gianfranco Tortolani being hoisted aboard the Amver participating container ship Maersk Missouri.

"We have him safely on board." was the brief email sent by the master of the Maersk Missouri to Coast Guard rescue authorities after the 67 year old sailor was rescued. The sailboat was left adrift.

Tortolani was taken to the Missouri's next port call, New Jersey, and is now on his way to Newport to celebrate the end of the race.

Are you in the race to Newport? Tell us your thoughts of the rescue.

Photo credit: all photos by the crew of the Maersk Missouri

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• Sailor picked up by container ship south of N.S. (ctv.ca)