15 people were rescued off a burning vessel in South Africa’s Southern Cape seas on Thursday afternoon.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) said an offshore supply vessel caught fire and had to be abandoned, about 48.5 nautical miles, south of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape.
According to SAMSA, the casualty vessel’s dangerous situation surfaced at around 10.30am on Thursday after the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at the SAMSA Centre for Sea Watch and Response in Cape Town, received a call from the Petroleum Oil and Gas Corporation of South Africa (PetroSA), advising that the MV AM Pride had fire onboard, close to a FA Platform and required immediate assistance.
PetroSA’s report to the MRCC at the time, located the fire, in the ship’s messroom.
Weather conditions prevailing in the area at the time, were characterized by strong winds, and described as ‘poor’ to ‘bad.’
PetroSA sent its helicopter as well to the scene, to retrieve the first group of eight (8) seafarers from a life-raft and onto the FA platform.
SAMSA also fetched seven (7) remaining crew members on the life-raft, who were later flown to George.
They will be flown to Cape Town on Friday, joining the eight (8) others scheduled to spend the night on the FA platform prior to being transferred also to Cape Town on Friday morning.
Picture: Supplied