Bulker Diverts to Port of Vitoria, Brazil After Fatal Accident
Croatian shipping firm Atlantska Plovidba reported Thursday that the bulker AP Dubrava has diverted to a Brazilian port for assistance after an accident killed two members of her crew.
On Wednesday afternoon, five seafarers were affected by an unspecified accident while cleaning a piping system, according to the ship's agent. Two could not be revived, despite the efforts of their crewmates, who provided care with the instructions of a shoreside medical advisor.
The Dubrava requested urgent assistance from the Brazilian authorities. She was about 150 nm offshore at the time of the casualty, and due to weather conditions and the distance involved, a rescue helicopter was not immediately able to reach the vessel.
The Dubrava diverted to Vitoria, and she rendezvoused with a Brazilian Navy helicopter crew off the coast on Thursday afternoon to secure a medevac for the three survivors. She arrived in port at Vitoria at about 1645 hours on Thursday.
Brazilian authorities said that the Dubrava plans to continue her voyage to Tubarao, Brazil, where she will be met by an inspector representing her flag state, the Marshall Islands.
The victims were both Croatian nationals, one born in 1953 and the other in 1988. The bodies will be examined by the city's Legal Medical Department (DML) to determine the cause of death. The local police department will interview the crew and investigate the circumstances of the accident.
Two of the survivors are in intensive care and receiving oxygen therapy, according to Brazilian media.