Rescuer Lost During Evacuation of Burning Containership East of Brazil
The rescue of the crew from a burning containership took a tragic turn, according to reports from the Portuguese authorities. While the crew of the Singapore-registered containership Espirito Santo Express was safely recovered, the chief officer from the rescue ship, the Portuguese-flagged bulker Aeolian Arrow, was tragically lost as the rescue operation was being completed.
A possible explosion followed by a fire aboard the 132,789 dwt containership was reported on October 15 in a location approximately 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles) east of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, according to the Brazilian newspaper Reconecta. Tracking data shows the vessel was in a remote location midway between Rio de Janeiro and Tristan da Cunha, far from shore in the middle of the South Atlantic.
The containership, which was built in 2018, has a capacity of 11,800 TEU and is managed by Seaspan. It had left Singapore on September 25, rounded the Cape of Good Hope on October 10, and slowed and then disappeared from AIS overnight on October 15.
Tristan da Cunha has no airfield, but the Brazilian Air Force dispatched a radar-equipped Embraer KC-390 transport aircraft from Rio de Janeiro to overfly the rescue effort, one of few aircraft with the speed to get to the area quickly and with the necessary range to loiter in the rescue area. The Brazilian authorities issued NAVAREA V Warning 0648/26 covering the incident and coordinated the response.
The bulker Aeolian Arrow responded to the distress call, and the situation was being managed by the MRCC Rio de Janeiro. According to the details released by Portugal’s Maritime Accident Investigation Office (GAMA), the bulker was able to rescue the 28 crewmembers from the containership. They had abandoned the vessel with 19 crewmembers in a lifeboat and nine in a life raft in difficult conditions with very high seas.
The swell and current caused the rescue boat to move abruptly, GAMA reports. The chief officer of the Aeolian Arrow was thrown overboard from the rescue boat, and the rescue boat was subsequently swamped and lost. The chief officer was conscious after he fell into the water, and the crew of the bulker attempted to recover him. They used lifebuoys and a cargo net in an attempt to bring the chief officer aboard. The reports said the chief officer repeatedly lost the ability to hold onto the rescue equipment. He subsequently disappeared beneath the surface and could not be recovered.
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The containership was operating on a route sailing from Singapore bound for Santos, Brazil. Both Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE), which shared the service, reported the incident to customers. They confirmed the crew from the containership was safe and accounted for on the rescue vessel, which is making its way to Santos.
The cause of the fire has not been reported. The shipping lines said the extent of the incident is unknown and still being assessed. Claims consultant WE Cox says it understands SMIT has been engaged as salvors for the vessel, which is currently drifting in the South Atlantic.
