Shipping witnessed a tragic incident on October 15, 2023, in which the senior officer of the rescue ship Aeolian Arrow lost his life during the rescue operation of the container ship Espirito Santo Express. This container ship, registered under the Singapore flag, caught fire approximately 1,700 kilometers east of Rio de Janeiro.
Incident Details
The container ship Espirito Santo Express, with a capacity of 11,800 TEU and a weight of 132,789 tons, was reportedly heading towards the port of Santos, Brazil. In this incident, 28 crew members of the ship were successfully rescued. They were evacuated from the ship using a lifeboat and inflatable boat. However, during the rescue, adverse weather conditions and high waves caused the lifeboat to move suddenly, and the senior officer fell from the boat into the sea.
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Rescue Efforts and Consequences
After the fall, the crew of the Aeolian Arrow attempted to rescue the senior officer. They used life rings and a cargo net to bring him back to the boat, but the officer was unable to grasp the rescue equipment due to the difficult conditions and went underwater. Meanwhile, the Brazilian Air Force dispatched an aircraft to the area to assist with the rescue operation and assess the situation.
Immediately following the incident, Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) informed their customers that all crew members of the Espirito Santo Express were currently safe and had been placed on a rescue ship heading towards Santos. The cause of the fire on the ship has not yet been reported, and the shipping lines are assessing the dimensions of the incident.
Reports indicate that the company SMIT, as the salvor of this ship, is currently working to control the situation of the container ship Espirito Santo Express, which is currently adrift in the South Atlantic Ocean.
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