All 15 crew members were safely evacuated from a burning offshore supply vessel (OSV) near South Africa’s southern Cape, on Thursday.
The incident, which unfolded approximately 48.5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape province, prompted a swift response from maritime authorities and nearby vessels.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported that the vessel, AM PRIDE, caught fire early Thursday morning. The 66.6-meter long ship, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, issued a distress call around 10:30 AM local time.
“A MayDay relay was immediately requested via Telkom Maritime Services for vessels in the area to render assistance,” stated the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at SAMSA.
Despite challenging weather conditions, including strong winds and high swells, a PetroSA helicopter successfully retrieved all crew members. Eight seafarers were initially transported to a nearby FA platform, while the remaining seven were flown directly to George.
“They will be flown to Cape Town on Friday, joining the eight others scheduled to spend the night on the FA platform prior to being transferred also to Cape Town on Friday morning,” the SAMSA spokesperson confirmed.
As the rescue operation concludes, attention now turns to salvaging the stricken vessel. An Emergency Towing Vessel, the Mkhuseli, has been dispatched to secure and tow the AM PRIDE to a safe location.