On February 16, the 25 meter long, 36 dwt fishing vessel Shkval became disabled in the Barents Sea off the coast of Russia. The Shkval was trawling in heavy seas when it suffered engine failure. Unable to restart the engine, the vessel sent out a distress call and requested assistance.
Local authorities dispatched the tug Murmanryba to take the Shkval under tow. Reports state the tug would arrive several hour later and tow the Shkval to Murmansk. There were no injuries to the nine crew on board, damage or pollution released.
On February 13, the 295 meter long, 72807 dwt container ship APL Austria caught fire off Cape St. Francis, Eastern Cape, South Africa. The fire started in the No. 4 hold when something inside a container ignited. The fire spread to adjacent containers spewing out plumes of dense smoke. The crew attempted to put of the blaze as a dozen containers were on fire.
Photo: NSRI
Photo: news24.com
Photo: heraldlive.co.za
Unable to extinguish the fire, the crew sent out a distress call for assistance to South African authorities. The vessel was instructed to proceed to an anchorage in Algoa Bay. A NSRI lifeboat from Port Elizabeth was launched while several tugs with a firefighting team were dispatched to the scene. While tugs attempted to contain the blaze by dousing the containers with water, all four non-essential crew members were evacuated off the container ship. One crewman of the APL Austria had sustained a leg injury and taken to hospital for treatment.
The APL Austria was escorted by the tugs to the Port of Ngqura. There local fire tugs finally extinguished the blaze. Reports state the APL Austria had hazardous materials on board, but those containers did not catch on fire. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been reported. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident.
On Feburary 13, the fishing vessel Predator ran hard aground near Akutan, Alaska. The fishing vessel had ran aground in 10 foot seas and 25 mph winds just off the shore. The hull struck the seabed hard resulting in an 8 inch crack in the hull allowing water ingress into the vessel. The three crew on board attempted to control the water ingress with the vessel’s pumps, but the flooding was too much for the pumps to handle.
The crew then requested assistance with a Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter dispatched to the scene. The helicopter arrived a short time later and hoisted off all three crewman to safety. No reports of injuries.
The Coast Guard stated they will monitor the Predator for any potential release of pollution. Additional reports state that salvage may not be possible due to the extent of hull damage already sustained to the fishing vessel.
