The chief officer of the Portuguese oil tanker Aeolian Arrow went missing during the rescue operation of 28 sailors from a burning tanker. This incident occurred on October 15 in the South Atlantic Ocean following an emergency call from the Singaporean tanker Espirito Santo Express.
Details of the Rescue Incident
The tanker Espirito Santo Express, owned by Hapag-Lloyd and operated by Seaspan, suffered a severe fire while en route from Singapore to Santos, Brazil. The Aeolian Arrow, as the first responder to this incident, launched its lifeboat into stormy seas and rescued 19 crew members from one lifeboat and 9 others from another lifeboat.
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However, during the return of the lifeboat to the tanker, the chief officer fell into the sea. The Portuguese Marine Accident Investigation Office (GAMA) has stated that this officer was initially seen alive, but repeated attempts to rescue him were unsuccessful, and he ultimately disappeared from sight.
Impacts and Consequences
This incident has been classified as a very serious maritime accident. The tanker Espirito Santo Express, which is 330 meters long and has a loading capacity of about 11,900 TEU, is currently abandoned and adrift in the South Atlantic Ocean. Professional claims specialists W.E. Cox have stated that professional salvors SMIT have been hired under Lloyd's Open Form conditions to respond to this incident.
Hapag-Lloyd and the cooperating service operator, Ocean Network Express, have confirmed that the crew of the tanker survived, but the impact of this incident on cargo and vessel operations is still being assessed. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. This incident occurs less than two weeks after another fire on the tanker HMM Platinum, raising concerns about the risks of serious fires at sea.
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