Merchant ships are not meant for rescue missions

LAST month, two large merchant ships were involved in widely reported rescues. It is the duty of all vessels, under the Safety of Life at Sea Convention, to rescue anybody in distress if they can do so without putting themselves at undue risk. That sounds straightforward and sensible but rescuing somebody in the water or in a small boat or raft is an extremely difficult operation for large merchant ships, which are not well equipped for rescues.

On July 9, the officers and crew of Evergreen Line's Singapore-flag container ship Ever Diadem joined forces with another ship to successfully rescue 30 seafarers forced to abandon their burning Taiwan-based fishing vessel off the coast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. The 4,211 TEU vessel's captain, Tao Yen-tang, immediately notified Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) South Africa and ordered his crew to stand by for a rescue operation. In view of the numbers involved, Capt Tai also requested the Marshall Islands-registered bulk carrier SBI Antares, which was in the vicinity, to join the rescue mission.

The ship's operator, Evergreen Line, notes that the region off the East African coast is notorious for piracy which posed a potential yet serious threat to the rescue operation. However, with the safety of the fishermen paramount, Capt Tai and his crew braved the risks and succeeded in rescuing 16 from one of the lifeboats. Meanwhile, the SBI Antares picked up the men in the other boat.