The 52532 dwt freighter West Bay collided with the 50 foot fishing vessel Michael Brandon some 20 miles off the coast of Hull, Massachusetts. The fishing vessel sustained severe damage, but was able to be towed back to Scituate, Massachusetts. However, it later sank in the harbor. Reports state there were no injuries on either vessel. The Coast Guard is conducting an investigation.
The fishing vessel Partner sank in the Tatar Strait (Tatarskiy Strait). The vessel was able to send a distress signal, but did not have an EPIRB to provide to its location. Reports state the weather was strong winds, temperature below zero and waves between 12 -16 feet. Two cargo vessels and a plane searched the area, but found no survivors. Reports state 3 bodies have been recovered on Sakhalin Island with one in a survival suit on an inflatable life raft. The trawler may have had 11 to 14 men onboard when it went down.
The 3155 dwt freighter Kliftrans collided with the 75 foot fishing vessel Valentina in the Strait of Sicily south of the island of Lampedusa. The collision damaged the Valentina leaving a large hole in the bow with water ingress. The crew was able to pump the water out and reach the port of Trapani. Three crewmen from The Valentina were injured and were transferred to a patrol boat. No report on the damage to the Kliftrans or if any crew were injured. The Kliftrans was heading to Cardiff from Turkey. The Valentina was heading back to its home port of Pantelleria before the collision.
