On the morning of 14 April 2023 reports were received of a local Hout Bay support vessel OLIVIA MARIE ablaze south of Cape Point.
The NSRI Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) activated NSRI Simon’s Town @ 00:40 where they launched their NSRI vessel, DONNA NICHOLAS.
All shipping traffic in the area had been alerted on VHF channel 16 of the vessel ablaze to keep a lookout and to render assistance.
Two vessels diverted to assist AQUAEXPLORER a cargo vessel and UMFONDINI a fishing vessel, when the fishing vessel arrived on the scene all 26 crew members of the vessel ablaze abandoned the ship and were in a liferaft. All the crew was rescued onto the fishing vessel UMFONDINI, all crew accounted for and no injuries were sustained.
The crew was brought to shelter waters off Buffels Bay where they transferred from the fishing vessel onto the NSRI Rescue craft DONNA NICHOLAS, and the vessel headed back to Simon’s Town harbour. They were then transported to their home base in Hout Bay. NSRI commends the swift response of all involved.
This rescue operation was coordinated by Transnet National Ports Authority, NSRI EOC, NSRI Hout Bay, NSRI Simon’s Town, MRCC, and Telkom Maritime Radio Services.
The hull of OLIVIA MARIE and the liferaft were located adrift, but thus far no efforts are underway to recover the liferaft.
The crew of UMFONDINI has been commended for the successful rescue of all 26 crew while the 26 crew have been commended for the successful abandonment off their vessel ablaze into the liferaft. The casualty vessel still smouldering adrift in a north westerly direction was at risk of running aground in the Kommetjoe area. Trans National Ports Authority dispatched the tug vessel STRANDLOPER to bring the vessel OLIVIA MARIE back to port. NSRI Hout Bay and NSRI Kommetjie launched their rescue vessels to rendezvous with the OLIVIA MARIE, on arrival the 80-ton vessel still smouldering was found drifting to shore but appeared to be at no risk of sinking.
NSRI rescue swimmers were deployed to rig a tow line from the NSRI Hout Bay rescue vessel to the OLIVIA MARIE. NSRI was able to tow the vessel gently away from shore with the help of the sea currents to hold her until the tug vessel STRANDLOPER arrives – preventing an environmental disaster. The towline was handed over to STRANDLOPER where the vessel towed OLIVIA MARIE into deeper waters and towed her back to Hout Bay Harbour the Saturday morning. Cape Town Fire and Rescue Services were standing by on the berth to dose the smouldering hull of the OLIVIA MARIE.Barriers have been secured by SAMSA, Cape Town Fire and Rescue Service, and the salvage company around the vessel to prevent pollution spills although there was no sign of any oil or diesel leakage.
All involved are commended for their ongoing efforts to contain any environmental threat.
The owners of the vessel OLIVIA MARIE appointed a salvage company to assess salvage options.
The opinions expressed herein are the author’s and not necessarily those of News2Sea.
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