The crew of 18 Filipino seamen has been saved from the possible sinking of the vessel. These were found in a life raft in Atlantic waters near Cape Town, the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported.
The Philippine crew rescue plan
SAMSA’ s salvage action began early Monday morning after receiving an emergency signal from the vessel, the MV Ultra Galaxy, which was about 60 nautical miles west of Doring Bay. A message that set off all the alarms in the adjacent coastal areas.
The initial alert was activated at 03:00 hours, at which time a warning was dispatched to other vessels in the area. In response, three nearby vessels, the MV Fivos, the MV Rio Grande Express and the fishing vessel FV Malachite, altered course to assist. At that time, weather conditions showed winds of up to 12 knots and waves of between five and six meters. The Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Cape Town dispatched two cargo vessels to further investigate the situation.
It is important to note that the life raft was successfully located by rescue teams, who confirmed that all crew members were on board.“We are relieved to report that all the sailors have been found and are safe,” SAMSA reported. The rescued were transferred to the FV Malachite, which took them to Santa Elena Bay.
SAMSA’s plan after vessel sinking
The MV Ultra Galaxy, a Panama-registered general cargo vessel built in 2008, was en route to “Dar es Salaam in Tanzania” when it issued its distress call. With the sailors safe, the focus now turns to salvage work on the vessel, expecting the crew to come ashore around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning. SAMSA added that it is coordinating efforts with a team of tugboats to team of emergency tugboats to assist the vessel in distress, with updates planned as the situation evolves.
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Source and photo: SAMSA
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