Severe conditions test salvage response

Cargo vessel abandoned by crew

SOUTH AFRICA: Ongoing severe weather conditions that have ravaged the Western Cape this week are not helping the unfolding situation to salvage an abandoned general cargo vessel that is now beached in the remote coastal area of Duiwegat.

Carrying a cargo of fertiliser, salvors have been working since Tuesday this week to remove the load as well as its low sulphur fuel and hydraulic oils, but have been confronted by bitterly cold, wet and very windy conditions.

The 124.56m vessel, MV Ultra Galaxy, was sailing to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania when it was abandoned by its crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list on Monday followed by a subsequent grounding late on Tuesday night.

The first tug was dispatched and arrived on the scene on Tuesday to assess the situation while a second tug carrying additional personnel and salvage equipment was subsequently mobilised to assist with the operations.

After abandoning the vessel, the crewmembers were safely rescued from a life raft and evacuated to St Helena Bay where they received routine medical attention and attendant hospitality.

Following the EPIRB alert, a Mayday relay was broadcast to nearby vessels. Three ships closest to the casualty vessel—the MV Fivos, MV Rio Grande Express, and a fishing vessel, the FV Malachite—were diverted to assist and locate the life raft. Weather conditions at the time included winds of up to 12 knots per hour and swells between five and six metres.

The salvage operation is being coordinated by the country’s Incident Management Organisation (IMOrg) consisting of a team of stakeholders from both the public, private and nongovernmental sectors.

The IMOrg, led by jointly by the Department of Transport and SAMSA, is South Africa’s joint government and industry preparedness forum launched in 2017 for oil spills.

Salvage teams were mobilised to conduct a survey of the surrounding areas and the vessel and pollution clean-up teams began removing flotsam from the beaches soon after the incident.

SAMSA has issued a Navigation Warning to all ships in the area to be on the lookout for any flotsam, as these may present a danger to navigation.