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SAS PROTEA Answers Mayday Call
Article and photos by WO 1 Manny Gounden |
The South
African Navy’s Hydrographic Survey Vessel, SAS PROTEA,
commanded by Captain Theo Stokes, responded to a mayday
call on November 2, at 22h15. The mayday call was from
the Spanish registered, 37-meter fishing trawler,
ACECHADOR, meaning “Hunter of the Seas.”
SAS PROTEA
was operating from Naval Station Durban for the past
three weeks. She was carrying out hydrographic survey 40
nautical miles due east of Durban when she responded.
SAS PROTEA immediately altered course and proceeded to
the assistance of the ACECHADOR.
SAS PROTEA comes alongside C berth with the 17 crew men
ON BOARD from the fishing trawler ACECHADOR
Capt Manuel
Ruiz Rivas, the captain of ACECHADOR said: “After the
electricity was cut off, we decided to call for help. It
was dark and we were stuck in the middle of the sea. We
had to get help.”
Capt Stokes
said: “When she arrived at the scene two ships (the
Grand Orion and the Pacific Scorpion) were already on
the scene as they were much closer.”
The crew
had ready abandoned their ship in four life-rafts and an
inflatable boat with an outboard motor. They were moored
alongside their sinking ship to prevent themselves from
drifting.
The
National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) rescue swimmer,
Sean Serfontein, was lowered from the National Ports
Authority Archer Aviation rescue helicopter into the sea
by winch and swam to the inflatable boat.
The rescue
operation was conducted in sea conditions of 2-3 meters
swells, sea state 3 and with 20-knot south-easterly
winds.
The stricken
crewmen where then winched from the life rafts and
transferred to the ships that answered the distress
calls. The rescue helicopter completed a total of 54
winches. She was very low on fuel and had to return to
base to refuel and continued with her successful rescue
operations.
Finally the
seventeen crewmen were transferred to the SAS PROTEA
where they received medical care, counselling, food and
blankets.
Capt Stokes
said: “The men were transferred on board with no serious
injuries and the crew made them feel comfortable. They
hardly spoke any English.”
The SAS
PROTEA docked at C shed at 0800B on Tuesday, November 3,
with all 17 crewmen on board.
Captain
Stokes said: “It was a joint rescue effort that involved
the SAS PROTEA, National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI),
Transnet’s National Ports Authorities rescue helicopter
and two ships, the car carrier Grand Orion and Pacific
Scorpion. The communication between the ships was
excellent.”
The Captain
and crew of the ACECHADOR did not want any photographs
taken and refused to make any comments to the media.
The ship’s
agent, Mr. Pedro Paulino from Trade Ocean, said that the
families of the captain and the crew of the ACECHADOR
have been informed. They disembarked and were
accommodated in hotels on the beachfront in Durban.
A possible
cause of the vessel sinking is that the trawler’s sea
chest (chest of valves that allows salt water from the
sea to cool the trawler’s main engine and pumps) failed.
Capt Rivas
said when leaving the SAS PROTEA through a translator:
“We thank everyone who came to our assistance. Special
thank you to the captain of this ship (SAS PROTEA) for
taking my crew and me on board and giving us every
comfort. Muchas gracias (thank you).”
The tug
REIER towed the ACECHADOR into port on Wednesday
morning, November 4, 2009. Her fate is unknown.
Subtech
spokesperson, Paul Bevis, said: “We sent a full dive
team (six members) to pump out water from the engine
room to keep the level down so that the trawler could be
towed to port.”
The success
of this event can be attributed to the speed in which
the authority from Navy HQ was received. It also led to
positive media coverage enhancing the image of the SAN.
The print
and electronic media commended the outstanding manner in
which Capt Stokes received the media on board and his
availability in answering all media enquires both
verbally and telephonically.
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