NAUTILUS P01 NOVEMBER 2009.qxd - Nautilus International

38 | telegraph | nautilusint.org | November 2009
NEWS EXTRA
Awards for heroic sea rescuers
PA Royal Navy helicopter
crew has been presented
with this year’s Edward
& Maisie Lewis Award for their
outstanding teamwork and
professionalism while carrying out an
extremely difficult rescue at sea.
Four members of the crew of
‘Rescue 193’ 771 Squadron at the RN
air station in Culdrose, Cornwall, were
presented with the award last month
by Rear Admiral Sir Jeremy de
Halpert, vice-president of the
Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners’
Royal Benevolent Society.
They went to the aid of a crew
member onboard the Spanish fishing
vessel Pescada Verdes Tres, who was
reported to have suffered severe and
life-threatening abdominal injuries off
the Isles of Scilly last November.
Working in atrocious conditions
— including gale-force winds,
mountainous seas and a pitch black
night, meaning that they had no
references or horizon to stabilise the
hover — the helicopter crew spent
over an hour conducting the rescue.
Ship Squat
& Interaction
By Dr D. C. Barrass
Chief Petty Officer Dave Rigg,
suspended on a winch wire, had to
use hand signals, which were
translated by Lieutenant Jonathan
£60
Hounsome into manoeuvring orders
for the pilot. CPO Rigg gave
emergency care, assisted by Lt
Hounsome, to successfully resuscitate
Witherby Seamanship International nal Ltd
Tel No: +44(0)1506 463 227
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4 Dunlop Square, Livingston,
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Edinburgh, EH54 8SB,
Email: info@emailws.com
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ip.com
the casualty on five occasions. By the was
time the aircraft returned to RNAS
Culdrose the crew had been on duty
for nearly 20 hours.
The Society — which is currently
celebrating its 170th anniversary —
supports former merchant seafarers
and fishermen in times of financial
hardship, and makes a series of
annual awards to recognise skill and
bravery in maritime rescues.
Chief executive Commodore
Malcolm Williams said: ‘We had some
exceptional award winners this year.
The crew of Rescue 193 demonstrated
excellent teamwork and
professionalism, ensuring that the
fisherman, who was critically ill, was
recovered from his vessel.’
z The Lady Swaythling Trophy for an
outstanding feat of seamanship was
awarded to Leading Seaman Kevin
Leeson, for his ‘cool decision-making
and good leadership’ to ensure the
safety of a survey vessel and her crew
in trouble in appalling conditions in
the South Shetland Islands
z A second Lady Swaythling Trophy
Are you concerned about
acriminalisation? Would you like
to know more about the legal
liabilities of seafarers? And what
about your rights after an accident?
In response to a number of recent
cases, Nautilus International is staging
a special free seminar at Warsash on
Friday, 6 November where these issues
— and more — will be tackled by
leading maritime lawyers.
On the panel will be Charles Boyle,
director of Nautilus legal services,
Andrew Oliver and Andrew Coish,
from Andrew Jackson solicitors, and
barrister Ian Lawrie.
Items on the agenda include the
master and officers’ role following an
accident or an incident, and the roles
of the police, Maritime & Coastguard
belatedly presented to Gordon
Cook, who was originally awarded
the Trophy in 1977 for his
‘determination, seamanship and
navigational skills of a high order’
during an incident that year. The
Society was unable to contact him
because he was sailing around the
southern hemisphere for several years
after the event
z The Lord Lewin Award for
distinguished service to the Society
was presented to two volunteer
‘honorary agents’ — senior
superintendent George Shaw,
Peterhead, and Darryl White, of St
Cyrus, Montrose, for ‘exceptional
dedication’ to the role
z The first ever Exceptional
Fundraising Award was presented to
Catherine Johnson for raising more
than £900 when she completed the
Reading half marathon earlier this
year. Catherine choose to run the
marathon for the Society, after being
inspired by her father, a former
merchant seafarer, who is the last in a
long line of ocean-going Johnsons.
Attacks outstrip last year’s level as bulker crew are threatened with execution
Rear Admiral Jeremy de Halpert presents the award to ‘Rescue 193’
Pirate danger gets worse
The Chinese bulk carrier De Xin Hai was seized by pirates some 350nm NE of the Seychelles Picture: EUNavFor
PIn a worrying escalation
of the threat to ships and
seafarers, Somali pirates
seized a Chinese bulk carrier some
350nm NE of the Seychelles and
700nm E of Somalia last month
and threatened to kill the crew of
25 if any attempt was made to
storm the ship.
The 76,432 dwt bulk carrier De
Xin Hai was attacked at a record
distance from the Somali coast —
well outside the recommended
60-degree advisory zone.
Chinese authorities said they
were planning ‘all-out’ efforts to
rescue the ship and its crew, but
news agencies reported that the
pirates had threatened to execute
the seafarers if naval forces intervened.
As forecast, pirate activity has
increased off the coast of Somalia
and in the Gulf of Aden following
the end of the monsoon season.
The majority of the attacks have
been unsuccessful, although a Singapore-flagged
containership was
seized some 150nm N of the Seychelles
just a few days before the
Chinese ship was attacked.
Figures released by the International
Maritime Bureau (IMB)
last month showed that there
were more attacks in the first nine
months of 2009 than in the whole
of the previous year.
The report also revealed that
the total number of incidents in
which guns were used has risen
by more than 200%.
A total of 306 incidents were
reported to the IMB Piracy Reporting
Centre (PRC) in the first nine
months of 2009, while in 2008,
the total number of attacks for the
year was 293.
Between 1 January and the end
of September a total of 114 vessels
were boarded, 34 hijacked and 88
fired upon. A total of 661 crew
members were taken hostage, 12
kidnapped, six killed and eight
reported missing over the same
period.
The IMB said 32 vessels were
hijacked by Somali pirates in the
first nine months of 2009, with
533 crew members taken hostage.
A further 85 vessels were fired
upon and at 30 September, four
vessels and more than 80 crew
were being held hostage.
It said Nigeria remains another
area of high concern. While only
20 attacks were officially reported
in the first nine months, the IMB
said evidence showed that at least
50% of attacks on vessels —
mostly related to the oil industry,
and mostly in the Lagos area —
have gone unreported.
Chittagong port in Bangladesh
has also seen an increase in the
number of incidents compared
with the same period in 2008, and
10 incidents have been reported
in the South China Sea — the
highest recorded number in the
corresponding period over the last
five years.
In a bid to improve the
effectiveness of the counterpiracy
operations off Somalia,
naval leaders from 30 nations
and international organisations
met in Bahrain last month to
discuss ways of increasing co-ordination.
‘CTF 151 is ready to counter
these attacks and support vessels
in need,’ said Rear Admiral Scott
Sanders, Commander of the Combined
Task Force.
‘We’re not being passive out
here; we’re being proactive,’ he
added. ‘We are creating an environment
in which pirates are not
so bold. We make every attempt
to intercept the skiffs with pirate
paraphernalia before they can
attack a merchant ship.’
Warsash seminar on
criminalisation at sea
Agency and Marine Accident
Investigation Branch.
Advice will be given on port state
control related issues and the
potential offences that seafarers may
face. Speakers will also address the
rights and responsibilities of masters
and officers, as well as providing an
overview of the legal framework and
practical hints and tips.
All are welcome to attend. There is
space to accommodate 60 people,
and first preference will be given to
members of Nautilus International —
both cadets and senior members
being welcome.
g To book your free place: call
Sharon Suckling at Nautilus
International on +44 (0)20 8530
1656 or email legal@nautilusint.org
2009 MN
Medal
winners
revealed
A British shipmaster who
ahelped to fight off a pirate
attack on his ship in the Gulf of Aden
earlier this year is one of the
recipients of this year’s Merchant
Navy Medal.
Captain Peter Stapleton, who
works for Bibby International
Services, has been given the award
in recognition of exceptional
bravery. He was nominated as a
result of his conduct as master of the
general cargo vessel Boularibank,
which was attacked by pirates in the
Gulf of Aden in April.
Pirates approached the vessel
opening fire with submachine guns
and a grenade launcher. The crew
retaliated with what was to hand —
initially fire hoses and then heavier
objects such as planks and logs. Capt
Stapleton and his team managed to
protect the vessel and its 31 crew and
11 passengers until a Russian military
vessel arrived to give support,
enabling the Boularibank to
continue on its voyage to Hull.
Capt Stapleton is one of 10
merchant seafarers who will be
presented with the Merchant Navy
Medal by Admiral Lord West of
Spithead at a ceremony in London
later this month.
The other winners are:
z Capt Eric Beetham, for services to
merchant shipping, to safety at sea
and the Marine Society & Sea Cadets
z Capt Nick Cooper, for services to
merchant shipping and to the
Nautical Institute
z Capt J.S. Earl, for services to
merchant shipping and to the
Merchant Navy Association
z Chief engineer W. Findlay,
associate lecturer, Warsash Maritime
Academy, for services to marine
engineer education and to the Guild
of Benevolence, Institute of Marine
Engineering Science and Technology
z Captain J.R. Harper, master of
the RRS Ernest Shackleton, for
services to polar exploration
z Chief engineer J. Parry, BP
Shipping, for services to merchant
shipping, especially the design and
operation of LNG tankers
z Communications officer I.C.
Petrie, Windstar Cruises, for services
to merchant shipping
z Capt J. Pinder, Port Hydrographer,
Port of London Authority, for services
to the Port of London and to youth
maritime training
z Mr J. Rimmer, messman on the
Mersey Viking, for services to
merchant shipping and to the RMT
Honorary awards are also being
made to:
z The Revd Canon Bill Christianson,
former secretary-general, Mission to
Seafarers, for services to merchant
seafarers and to the International
Christian Maritime Asssociation
z Mrs D. Simco, for services to the
welfare of seafarers and to the
Queen Victoria Seamen’s Rest
z Mrs Irene Bonnici,
ex-administrator at the Dreadnought
Medical Service, for services to the
care of seafarers
z Mrs F. Manson, Cook, Scrabster
Mission, Royal National Mission to
Deep Sea Fishermen, for services to
the welfare of fishermen in Scotland
z Capt J. Evans, honorary president
of the Anglo-Scottish Fishermen’s
Association, for services to
commercial fishing and fishermen in
Scotland