California residents rescued in fatal boat accident in Mexico
One person was reported dead and seven others missing Monday afternoon after a fishing boat carrying 27 U.S. tourists and 16 Mexican crew members capsized in rough seas in the Sea of Cortez, officials said.
The 27 tourists, most of them from California, were aboard the charter vessel Erick when a sudden storm struck the area about 2:30 a.m., hurling people into the ocean in the vicinity of San Luis Island, about 60 miles south of the Baja California port of San Felipe, the Mexican Navy said in a statement. The body water in which the ship capsized is also known as the Gulf of California.
View Capsized vessel in a larger map
"The weather was calm, and then a strong wind came," Dora Winkler, a spokeswoman with the Port of San Felipe, told the Los Angeles Times.
Some of the first people rescued -- two tourists and the boat's cook -- were plucked from the water by a Mexican fishing boat, according to Winkler.
All of the 16 Mexican crew members were rescued, she said. The tourist who died was only identified as an adult male. Initial reports said six people were missing; officials later raised the number to seven.
A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from San Diego was assisting the Mexican navy as rescue crews scoured the area for survivors, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Pamela Boehland.
She said the Coast Guard was told by the Mexican Navy that most of the passengers were from Northern California and that one was from Port Angeles, Wash. The search was launched after one of the victims swam to shore and alerted Mexican officials, Boehland said.
"He swam to shore and actually walked to the nearest location," Boehland said, adding that she was unsure whether it was a town or village.
Mexican officials said all of the survivors were wearing life jackets. They were taken to local hospitals and appeared to be in good condition, the Mexican Navy said.
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30321933
Five Thai tourists drown when snorkeling boat sinks in Chumphon Bay
Breaking News July 27, 2017 09:16
Five Thai tourists drowned when a boat taking visitors to snorkel around islands in Chumphon Bay capsized because of high waves and strong winds on Wednesday night.
The Chok Thara 2 boat sank near Koh Ngam and Koh Kalok and the authorities were alerted at 9pm.
Initially, eight tourists and three crew members were rescued and five tourists were reported missing.
Chumphon Governor Narong Polla-iad said on Thursday that rescuers later found four women and one man trapped in the boat.
Jul 27, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2017/07/30/passenger-bo...
Passenger boat capsizes in Isabela; 3 dead, 53 rescued
Sunday, July 30, 2017
AT LEAST three persons drowned and 55 others were rescued after their boat sank in Palanan, Isabela on Sunday, July 30. Senior Inspector Mariano Manalo, Palanan police chief, identified the fatalities as Joel Tuppil and a certain Dimasalang from Cauayan City, Isabela; and Mylene Silva from Bataan. Ronald Silva, one of the boat's passengers, was reported missing, Manalo said. Manalo said the boat's engine failed upon reaching Sitio Divinisa in Barangay Culasi, Palanan and it was hit by strong winds and huge waves, causing the vessel to capsize. He said the boat was carrying 57 passengers, including six crew members. Rescuers saved 53 people, including the boat's crewmen. Search operation is ongoing for the missing person
Aug 1, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-4752868/Tour-boat-...
Tour boat sinks off Turkey's Mediterranean coast, three people missing
By Reuters
Published: 05:11 EDT, 2 August 2017 | Updated: 05:11 EDT
ANKARA, Aug 2 (Reuters) - Three people were missing after a tour boat sank in the Mediterranean off the coast of Turkey's southwestern province of Mugla on Wednesday, an official said.
The boat, named Anemore, was carrying 11 people when it sank off the Marmaris district of Mugla, a popular tourist area, the official said. Eight passengers have so far been rescued.
"The ship sank rapidly for an unknown reason about 500 metres from the Marmaris-Bozburun gulf," the official said.
The cause of the accident was not immediately clear, the official said, adding that emergency services were searching for the three missing people, who include the boat's owner
Aug 3, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/1/64/275163/Egypt/Politics-...
Spanish tourists rescued off Egypt's Red Sea coast after yacht sinks
The chairman of the Society for the Rescue and Protection of the Environment in the Red Sea, Hassan El-Tayeb, said the tourists were rescued in the El-Muwaieh area between Quseir and Safaga, south of Hurghada.
In a press statement, El-Tayeb said that the association sent rescue boats immediately after receiving an emergency alert and the tourists were rescued without any injuries.
The armed forces also dispatched boats and a helicopter to rescue the tourists, Al-Shorouk newspaper reported. Further details of the rescue operation were not immediately available.
The group were on a cruise to a diving area 80 miles south of Hurghada, Al-Shorouk reported.
The cause of the boat’s sinking was not identified.
Aug 11, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1459816/bodies-boating-a...
Six bodies found after boating accident off Kenya coast
By AFP
Added 14th August 2017 06:02 PM
Rough weather in the area made it unlikely that other passengers would be found alive
Rescuers recovered six bodies in Kenya's coastal Lamu region after a boat carrying a local politician and his family capsized over the weekend.
Shekuwe Kahale, who made a failed run for a seat in Kenya's parliament in last week's general election, set off with three other adults and eight children for Lamu Island on Sunday, but their boat was reported to have sank in turbulent waters.
A rescue team retrieved Kahale and the ship's captain alive on Monday, and also recovered the bodies, Lamu county commissioner Joseph Kanyiri told AFP.
"We have a multiagency team in the waters working from different points to find out the rest," he said.
A member of the rescue team said rough weather in the area made it unlikely that other passengers would be found alive.
Lamu's beaches are popular boating and vacation spots for both Kenyan and foreign tourists.
In June, ten people died in the area after a passenger boat capsized.
Aug 15, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://waterworldnews.net/ndrf-rescues-15-as-boat-capsizes-in-bihar...
NDRF rescues 15 as boat capsizes in Bihar's flood-hit Sitamarhi district
In a dramatic three-hour search-and-rescue operation Thursday evening, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) saved 15 people after their country boat capsized in Bihar’s flood-hit Sitamarhi district.
A team of NDRF received a distress message at 6:07 pm on Thursday, just as it was returning to its base near Behra village in Pupri sub-division of Sitamarhi district after winding up its operation for the day.
The NDRF team, which was close by, immediately rushed to the accident site on their motorised inflatable boats. With passengers of the capsized boat already scattered by the raging water of the Lakhandei river which had overflown its banks, 12 NDRF rescuers plunged into the river and rescued six men, four women and five children.
Commandant of the 9th batallion, NDRF, in Patna, Vijay Sinha said, “The team initially recued 14 people. One person trapped in nearby bushes in an inundated area near the village was also eventually rescued after a search.”
He said the team continued its search for more victims till 9.20pm before calling it off after the sub-divisional magistrate of the area confirmed that all 15 people on the ill-fated boat had been rescued
Around 120 people have already lost their lives due to floods in 15 of Bihar’s 38 districts, affecting a population of over 72 lakh.
Meanwhile, at least five engineers of the water resources department (WRD) are facing the heat for dereliction of duty in Sitamarhi, Darbhanga and West Champaran (Padrauna) districts. “We are monitoring the performance of all our engineers. We will take uniform and severest action against those found to be wanting in their responsibility,” said a senior WRD officer, requesting anonymity.
Aug 19, 2017
Scott
Wobble Warships
.
USS John S. McCain collides with merchant ship near Strait of Malacca (August 20, 2017)
USS John S. McCain (below)
merchant vessel Alnic MC (below)
The guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) was involved in a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC while underway east of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore on Aug. 21.
There are currently 10 Sailors missing and five injured. Four of the injured were medically evacuated for non-life threatening injuries. The fifth injured Sailor does not require further medical attention.
The collision was reported at 6:24 a.m. Japan Standard Time, while the ship was transiting to a routine port visit in Singapore.
The ship is currently sailing under its own power and heading to Changi Naval Base.
Search and rescue efforts are underway in coordination with local authorities
http://www.c7f.navy.mil/Media/News/Display/Article/1283892/uss-john...
http://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/636017930
https://twitter.com/tldm_rasmi/status/899473666915713024
Aug 21, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://wkbn.com/2017/08/24/18-dead-in-brazil-boat-accident-2nd-fata...
18 dead in Brazil boat accident, 2nd fatal sinking this week
The accident took place two days after a passenger boat sank north of Para, leaving 21 dead
Updated: August 25, 2017, 9:59 am
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A commuter boat carrying more than 100 passengers flipped and sank Thursday in northeast Brazil, killing at least 18 people and leaving dozens missing in rough ocean waters.
It was the second fatal accident involving passenger boats this week in the South American nation, where aquatic travel of all kinds is common.
Navy Lt. Col. Flavio Almeida told The Associated Press that the vessel went down in the morning while traversing the Bay of All Saints off the coast of the city of Salvador.
Twenty-one people were rescued by naval teams, and private boats also motored in and helped an unknown number of survivors.
“Some passengers were able to swim to shore. Others were picked up,” Almeida said. “An investigation into what happened will be launched, but at this point we are still in the middle of the rescue.”
Authorities reported earlier that 22 people had died but later lowered the toll to 18.
Globo News showed rescuers pulling people from the bay and anxious family members waiting for news in the Salvador terminal where the boat was expected.
In a statement the Bahia state health department said 34 people were being treated for injuries. An unconscious 1-year-old who initially responded to resuscitation efforts died in an ambulance en route to a hospital, it added.
Survivor Edvaldo Santos de Almeida told the G1 news portal that a large wave tipped the boat during a heavy rainstorm.
“There were a lot of people” on board, he said. “It took a long time to be rescued. We were in the water for two hours.”
Authorities said there were 120 people on board when the boat sank.
Matheus Ramos told the daily newspaper Folha de S. Paulo he was sitting down the boat suddenly flipped on top of him, banging his left shoulder.
“When I came up, a tarp was on top of my face,” Ramos said. “I had to rip it to breathe.”
Salvador, one of Brazil’s most famous cities, is located on a peninsula near a handful of islands. Each day thousands of workers, students and other people commute on boats between the city and the islands.
The vessel was traveling between Vera Cruz on Itaparica Island and Salvador, about an 8-mile (13-kilometer) stretch.
The accident took place two days after a passenger boat sank on the Xingu River in the northern state of Para, leaving at least 21 dead.
Authorities initially said more than 70 were on that boat when it sank late Tuesday. But on Thursday, as recovery efforts continued, authorities revised the number of passengers down to 48. Of those, 23 had been rescued, meaning at least four were still missing.
Aug 25, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wral.com/coast-guard-saves-6-from-capsized-boats-near-no...
Coast Guard saves 6 from capsized boats near North Carolina
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The Coast Guard has rescued six people from two boats that capsized near the North Carolina coast
Local media reported the Coast Guard rescued a man whose 23-foot (7-meter) boat capsized near the Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune on Saturday. The Coast Guard sent a crew from Emerald Isle and rescued a man sitting on top of the overturned boat. A second man swam ashore before the Coast Guard arrived
The Coast Guard also rescued five passengers from a 54-foot (16-meter) fishing boat that flipped in Oregon Inlet late Saturday afternoon
Coast Guard crews from Nags Head responded to that request for help. All five people were wearing life jackets. One woman was flown to a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, for treatment of a back injury
Sep 18, 2017
M. Difato
Rohingya refugee boat capsizes,leaving about 60 dead
http://www.gbcghana.com/1.11337729
About 60 people are now believed to have died when a boat carrying Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar capsized off Bangladesh, the UN says.
The boat overturned in rough seas late on Thursday.
A UN spokesman said 23 people were now confirmed dead and 40 more were "missing and presumed drowned"..."
Scores of Rohingya feared drowned after boat capsizes
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/09/scores-rohingya-feared-drowne...
Oct 1, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/10-indians-still-missing-a...
10 Indians still missing after ship sinks off Japan
Ten Indians are still missing after a cargo ship sank off the coast of Japan, the External Affairs Ministry said on Sunday.
According to a tweet by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar, those missing are Captain Nair Rajesh Ramachandran, Second Officer Rahul Kumar, Third Officer Subramaniam Giridhar Kumar, Chief Engineer Rajput Shyam Singh, Fourth Engineer Subbiah Suresh Kumar, Junior Engineer Chauhan Ashok Kumar, Perumalsamy Gurumurthy, Malavaranan Silambarasan, Murugan Gowtham and Bevin Thomas.
The Hong Kong-registered cargo ship Emerald Star sank some 600 km south of Ishigaki island of Okinawa prefecture early Friday.
Japan’s 11th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters based in Naha, Okinawa, said earlier that it received an emergency call from the 33,205-tonne the ship around 2 a.m. local time (5 p.m. GMT Thursday) on Friday.
The Japan Coast Guard said it had dispatched patrol boats and aircraft to rescue the missing crew, but the operations were hampered by a raging typhoon.
According to Kumar’s statement, 11 crew members were rescued by the ship Densa Cobra, registered in Xiamen, China, and five more by Samarinda, registered in the Philippines.
Oct 16, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/six-missing-after-tra...
Six still missing after Qld trawler sinks
Queensland emergency crews are still searching for six men after their trawler capsized off 1770, while the sole known survivor is transported back to shore.
October 17, 20171:06pm
A man who survived a night in heavy seas after his fishing trawler capsized off the central Queensland coast is believed to have suffered only minor injuries.
Six of his crewmates are still missing with a search and rescue operation launched after he was rescued by a passing boat at 7am on Tuesday.
The trawler sank about midnight, more than four hours after it overturned near Middle Island off the town of 1770.
The known survivor is believed to have spent about seven hours in the water.
It is unknown if he was wearing a life jacket.
A Queensland Ambulance Service spokesman said he was being transported to shore on a Volunteer Marine Rescue boat where he will be assessed by paramedics.
He said initial reports indicated the man was in a stable condition, suffering the
He said initial reports indicated the man was in a stable condition, suffering the affects of exposure and some minor cuts.
"My understanding is he probably won't need to go to hospital," the spokesman said.
Police said bad weather was still hampering the air and water search for the missing men.
The area had received almost 140mm of rain in the previous 24 hours and a severe weather warning remained in place.
The Bureau of Meteorology predicted six-hourly rainfall totals of up to 180mm on Tuesday, with possible thunderstorms.
Oct 17, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/zamboanga/local-news/2017/10/22/2-boats-c...
Oct 23, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.frontdesk.com.my/index.php/2017/10/28/fishing-boat-sinks...
Oct 28, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.pentictonherald.ca/news/world_news/article_b00b0cb8-a8a3...
Boat carrying fleeing Rohingya Muslims sinks, at least 4 die
Boat carrying fleeing Rohingya Muslims sinks, at least 4 die
DHAKA, Bangladesh - A boat carrying up to 45 Rohingya Muslims fleeing Myanmar capsized in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday morning, and a Bangladeshi official said four bodies were recovered.
It was not clear how many people were missing
Mohammed Mikaruzzaman, local government administrator at Ukhiya, said some 23 people were rescued and a dozen of them were being treated.
The boat capsized Tuesday morning near Inani beach in Cox's Bazar district, which borders Myanmar.
The UN refugee agency said survivors told its staff that 42 people from six families left on a fishing boat in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state around 2 a.m. Tuesday. The boat hit rough seas and capsized, trapping people underneath, the agency said in a statement.
More than 600,000 Rohingya Muslims have reached refugee camps in Bangladesh since Myanmar's security forces launched operations Aug. 25 that the United Nations and others have described as "ethnic cleansing."
About 190 people trying to flee have died in boat accidents in the Bay of Bengal or nearby waterways.
Nov 1, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://aa.com.tr/en/turkey/turkish-cargo-vessel-sinks-off-istanbul-...
Turkish cargo vessel sinks off Istanbul coast
Vessel with 10 crew members onboard sinks seven miles off Istanbul’s Sile district on Black Sea coast
ANKARA
01.11.2017
A Turkish cargo vessel with 10 crew members onboard sank seven miles off Istanbul’s Sile district on Black Sea coast on Wednesday, according to the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications.
The statement by the Transport Ministry said 78.5 meter-long vessel named Bilal Bal sent a distress signal early morning, while it was transporting iron ore from Marmara port in northwestern Bursa's Gemlik district to northern Black Sea port in Zonguldak’s Eregli district.
“Search and rescue efforts are ongoing jointly by the Coast Guard Command, Directorate General of Coastal Safety and Naval Forces Command,” it added.
A coast guard aircraft, a helicopter and two boats of the Coast Guard Command; five rescue boats of the Directorate General of Coastal Safety; and a submarine rescue vessel took part in the rescue efforts, the statement said.
It also said that a life buoy, life raft, life boat and a rubber rescue boat belonging to the vessel, which sank seven miles off the Sile coast to the depth of 88 meters, were found during the efforts.
Coordinated and intense search and rescue efforts are ongoing, according to the statement.
Nov 1, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
Sunday, October 29 2017
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news/baynews9/news/article.html/con...
3 rescued after boat capsizes under Sunshine Skyway bridge
Stephen Lavelle and 2 friends were out fishing Sunday when high winds caused their small boat to capsize under the Sunshine Skyway bridge. Luckily, they were rescued by a nearby jet skier. (Spectrum Bay News 9)
The usually beautiful waters off the Sunshine Skyway bridge turned violent Sunday, capsizing a small boat with three people on board.
"It happened in the blink of an eye. One second you see a little bit of water coming; the next, the water is rushing in, and the boat started to sink," Stephen Lavelle said.
Lavelle and two friends, who were out fishing, knew the waters were choppy, and were headed back to Johns Pass when the high winds made their boat tip over.
"One second it was all fine. Then the whole dynamic changed to a panic almost, really not knowing what to do. The boat was going down," Lavelle said.
Thankfully, they were spotted by nearby Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Jim Covert, who flagged down David Teichman, who was jet skiing nearby.
"The mood was uplifted a bit, knowing that someone saw us out there," he said.
Teichman actually used his jet ski to get the boaters to safety while other crews arrived.
The boaters say they owe him their lives.
"At the end of the day, we're very fortunate for us to be there. It could have been a lot different," Lavelle said.
Several boating advisories were posted on Sunday because of high winds, and first responders say capsizing is always a worry on windy days.
Nov 2, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://metronews.ca/news/world/2017/11/09/5-missing-after-fishing-b...
5 missing after fishing boat sinks in Brazil, 18 rescued
SAO PAULO — Brazilian authorities say five people are missing after a fishing boat with 23 crew members on board sank off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.
Brazil's navy says the vessel went down Wednesday night near the town of Angra dos Reis. It says 18 people were pulled from the water alive by another fishing boat cruising nearby.
Navy patrol boats and air force planes were called in Thursday to search for the five missing men.
The cause of the accident is under investigation.
Nov 10, 2017
Derrick Johnson
U.S. destroyer collides with Japanese tug boat marking the FIFTH time the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific has been involved in a crash
A U.S. guided-missile destroyer, USS Benfold, sustained minor damage when a Japanese tug drifted into it during a towing exercise off central Japan on Saturday.
'No one was injured on either vessel and Benfold sustained minimal damage, including scrapes on its side, pending a full damage assessment,' a statement from the U.S. Seventh Fleet said.
'Benfold remains at sea under her own power. The Japanese commercial tug is being towed by another vessel to a port in Yokosuka. The incident will be investigated,' it said.
The USS Benfold (pictured) sustained minor damage in the collision on Saturday with a Japanese tugboat
The incident, which occurred in Japan's Sagami Bay, marks the fifth time the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet in the Pacific has been involved in a crash.
The U.S. Navy announced a series of reforms this month aimed at restoring basic naval skills and alertness at sea after a review of deadly ship collisions in the Asia-Pacific region showed sailors were under-trained and over-worked.
Seventeen sailors have been killed this year in two collisions with commercial vessels involving guided-missile destroyers, the Fitzgerald in June off Japan and then the John S. McCain in August as it approached a port in Singapore.
'It was one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world,' said retired Marine colonel and a former deputy assistant secretary of state Steve Ganyard.
'One-third of all maritime shipping goes through here,' Ganyard said. 'So there were probably extenuating circumstances but no doubt, as we saw in the Fitzgerald, there was probably human error involved, as well.'
On Jan. 31, the USS Antietam ran aground off the coast of Japan, damaging its propellers and spilling oil into the water.
The Navy Times reported that the guided-missile destroyer grounded spilled an estimated 1,100 gallons of oil into Tokyo Bay. No one was injured in the incident.
The USS Lake Champlain crashed into South Korean fishing boat on May 9 during a routine training exercise.
The ship, also a guided-missile cruiser, crashed into the 9.8-ton fishing boat while in the Sea of Japan.
No one was reported injured in the incident.
Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5095567/U-S-destroyer-sligh...
Nov 19, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2017/12/03/13-dead-2-missin...
13 dead, 2 missing in chartered fishing boat capsize
By Yonhap News Agency | Dec. 3, 2017 at 10:58 AM
Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A South Korean chartered fishing boat capsized off the country's western coast Sunday after colliding with a bigger tanker, leaving 13 people dead and two missing, the Korea Coast Guard said.
The 9.77-ton recreational fishing vessel, Seonchang-1, was carrying two crew members and 20 passengers when it hit the 336-ton Myeongjin-15 tanker in the Yellow Sea waters near Yeongheung Island.
The accident happened at around 6:09 a.m. about one mile southwest of Jindu port on Yeongheung, nine minutes after leaving land, according to Coast Guard officials.
The death toll was relatively high apparently due to the strong current and low temperature, they said.
It's the worst tragedy involving a South Korean recreational fishing boat since a similar accident in waters near Jeju Island in September 2015. Fifteen people were killed and three went missing at that time.
President Moon Jae-in received a briefing on the accident in less than an hour and ordered all-out search and rescue operations, his office Cheong Wa Dae announced.
The Korea Coast Guard are continuing to search for the missing in cooperation with the military, mobilizing dozens of ships, including the 2,500-ton Chungbuk frigate and some naval choppers. The Navy's specially trained divers also joined the operation.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries launched a task force to handle the accident.
The authorities are looking into the exact cause behind the collision.
"There's no specific problem related to weather conditions, sailing reports or other (pre-departure) preparations," a Coast Guard official told reporters. "We are investigating how the accident happened, considering the possibility that the two ships collided with each other while passing through a narrow waterway under Yeongheung Bridge."
The victims were reportedly aged between 30 and 70. The survivors received medical checks and treatment at two hospitals, in Incheon and Siheung, Gyeonggi Province.
In the afternoon, the Coast Guard took the captain and a crew of the Myeongjin-15 tanker into custody to investigate if they were negligent in their duties to avoid the collision.
An official from the Coast Guard said the captain was well aware of the fact that the fishing boat was cruising nearby before the accident.
Dec 3, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/kerala/boat-capsizes-off-beypor...
Boat capsizes off Beypore, miraculous escape for 5
Published: Dec 8, 2017, 07:34 AM IST......
The boat ‘Jala Durga’ was struck by strong winds three nautical miles off the coast, causing the boat to lose control and capsize. The occupants of the boat were rescued by another boat ‘Don’. The fishermen have been admitted to Kozhikode Beach Hospital. The fishermen said though the sea looked calm from the shore, the deep sea is still rough even after the devastating Cyclone Ockhi.
Dec 8, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2017/12/no-reported-injuries-as-glas...
No reported injuries as glass-bottom tourist boat sinks in harsh weather off Cozumel
COZUMEL, Q.Roo — Harsh winds and unsteady waters were the cause of a glass-bottomed boat cracking off the island of Cozumel Wednesday Dec. 13.
Riviera-maya-news.com reported the glass-bottom boat tour sank when the bottom of the boat cracked and eventually gave way due to harsh winds and strong waves caused by the most recent cold front to hit the region. The tourist sightseeing boat, Sharky, began taking on water with both tourists and crew on board.
PHOTO: riviera-maya-news.com
Port Authorities received a request for help by the boat’s captain. An emergency crew was sent to help those on board the sinking vessel. While waiting, captain of Sharky made his way to the nearest dock at Hotel Cozumel and Resort where all on board disembarked without incident.
The glass-bottomed boat did eventually sink but was recovered and towed to the Fonatur Marina to verify damages.
There were no reports of injuries.
Dec 15, 2017
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.china.org.cn/world/2018-01/02/content_50183325.htm
At least 8 dead, 13 missing after boat sinks in Indonesia
At least eight people died, and 13 others remain missing after a boat sank off Indonesia's Kalimantan island on Monday, said rescue officials.
The boat with 48 passengers, including children on board, was on its way from Tanjung Selor to Tarakan on the Indonesian side of Borneo island when it overturned and sank.
The cause of the accident remains unclear.
Jan 2, 2018
KM
https://www.rt.com/news/415195-china-ships-collide-missing/
32 people missing after oil tanker & cargo ship collide off Chinese coast
The collision between the Panama-registered oil tanker "SANCHI" and Hong Kong freighter "CF CRYSTAL" happened at around 8:00pm local time Saturday, 160 nautical miles east of the mouth of the Yangtze River, Xinhua reports citing the Chinese Ministry of Transport. The accident caused a massive fire onboard the "SANCHI," forcing the tanker to tilt to the right. Thirty-two sailors from the Panamian vessel remain missing, including 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis.
The "CF CRYSTAL" was also damaged in the collision, but its crew of 21 is safe after being rescued by East China Sea patrol boats that were dispatched to the scene.
The emergency operation is continuing Sunday morning. Several maritime police vessels, two rescue boats and three professional cleaning ships were dispatched to the area. The Shanghai Fire Department has sent experts to help battle the flames, and the South Korean Marine Police Agency deployed a marine police ship and a fixed-wing aircraft to help with the search and rescue effort.
The 274 meter long "SANCHI" tanker was hired by an Iranian company to deliver 136,000 tons of fuel to South Korea, according to information provided by Xinhua. The 225 meter "CF CRYSTAL" was carrying 64,000 tons of grain from the United States, en route to the Guangdong Province in China when the collision occurred.
Jan 7, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.jamaicaempire.com/2018/01/11/boat-sinks-in-caribbean-sea...
Boat Sinks In Caribbean Sea, Four Dead, 28 Missing-
CARACAS (CMC):
A search has been launched in Caribbean waters after a boat filled with Venezuelans capsized near the Dutch island of Curaçao.
The Venezuelan authorities said a boat carrying 34 people has capsized killing four people and another 28 have been reported missing.
Regional Civil Protection director Jose Montano said the boat departed Venezuela for the Dutch Caribbean island on Tuesday.
According to Reuters, police and relatives of the surviving passengers confirmed the boat had been trying to reach the city of Willemstad in Curaçao, despite a travel ban imposed by the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions after Maduro ordered a trade blockade with Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire on Friday.
Venezuelan authorities allege the smuggling of products out of Venezuela to neighbouring countries is one of the causes of the severe shortage of food and other basic products that the South American country has been facing for several years.
Jan 12, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2018/02/07/boat-traveling...
Feb 9, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/woman-drowns-after-tourist-bo...
Woman drowns after tourist boat capsizes off Koh Rong
Publication date 27 February 2018 | 18:08 ICT
A small tourist boat capsized a short distance off the coast of Koh Rong island yesterday, killing a 39-year-old Cambodian woman who drowned about 20 metres from the dock, authorities said.
Strong waves overturned the boat carrying 13 passengers, including 39-year-old Hem Lom, of Ratanakiri province’s Lumphat district, who drowned, said Security Director of Koh Rong island military police Loek Nan.
“The boat was about to capsize and suddenly, the victim, wearing no life jacket, slid into the water and the wave hit her,” Nan said.
Koh Rong commune chief Seng Huorleang attributed the capsizing of the boat to a “natural storm” and the “carelessness of the victim,” not the boat operator. The owner of the boat, Van Lykong, could not be reached for comment yesterday.
Tang Sochet Kroesna, the head of tourist department of Preah Sihanouk province, urged boat operators and tourists to pay attention to safety.
“Travellers should prioritize their personal safety by demanding the boat owner to offer them life jackets, and they have to wear life jackets properly before setting off for islands,” he said.
Feb 28, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/one-dead-14-mi...
One dead, 14 missing in Malaysia sand dredger capsize
AFP | Kuala Lumpur Last Updated at March 21, 2018 14:00 IST
One crew member was killed and 14 others, most of them Chinese, were missing today after a sand-dredging vessel capsized off Malaysia, with some believed trapped alive inside the sunken hull.
The coastguard said authorities in the southern state of Johor were alerted at 8:50 am that the vessel, the JBB Rong Chang 8, had sank.
Two boats were sent to the scene and found one Chinese national dead and three others alive, the coastguard said.
A search is continuing for the 14 sailors --12 Chinese, one Indonesian and one Malaysian -- still missing, said a coastguard statement.
Sanifah Yusof, a senior coastguard official, told AFP that divers searching for the missing crew believed some could still be alive inside the overturned boat.
"We believe there are some crew trapped in the ship. The divers knocked on the body of the ship and got a response," he told AFP.
It was not clear what caused the accident in Muar district. The weather in the area was fine.
Dredging sand from coastal areas is a booming and lucrative business. The sand is shipped to wealthy land-scarce areas such as Singapore for reclamation and construction work.
But environmentalists have long argued that the practice damages local communities and ecosystems.
Last year two foreign vessels manned by Chinese crew were seized off Malaysia's west coast for allegedly conducting illegal sand-dredging.
Mar 21, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://sputniknews.com/europe/201804021063125238-spain-madrid-migr...
At Least 4 Reported Dead as Migrant Boat Capsizes Off Spanish Coast
MADRID (Sputnik) - At least four undocumented migrants have died as a result of a boat capsizing off the Spanish coast, while the rescuers are searching for seven more people, the Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (SASEMAR) said Sunday.
According to the SASEMAR, the rescuers have found a boat Strait of Gibraltar with one person and two bodies and later found two more dead migrants.
The survivor told the rescuers that there were a total of 12 people in the boat, the rescue society added.
The European Union is currently struggling with a massive influx of migrants as hundreds of thousands of people are fleeing conflict-torn countries in the Middle East and North Africa and heading for Europe in hopes of a better life there.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) figures, 120 migrants died near the Spanish coast, while about 3,000 people managed to reach the European state.
Apr 2, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/coast-guard-rescues-4-from-ca...
LOCAL
Coast Guard rescues 4 from capsized boat near Tillamook Bay
Apr 2, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.stocknewshub.com/world/more-than-70-divers-swim-to-coast...
More than 70 divers swim to coast off Fethiye after boat sinks
At least 79 people, including 71 students and eight crew members, onboard a boat off the Fethiye district of Turkey’s southwestern province of Muğla managed to swim to the nearest coast to be rescued after their boat sank, daily Hürriyet reported on April 2.
“According to initial findings, the reason the boat sank was bad weather. There are no reports of casualties or injuries,” said Fethiye Governor Muzaffer Şahiner.
The divers reportedly included students from a student association at Sabancı University in Istanbul, who were in Fethiye as part of a diving event that has become a tradition. The event was supposed to last for four days.
“After the boat sank, those onboard reached the nearest coast, but because big boats could not reach it, they are being evacuated into small boats in groups,” Şahiner said.
Students and crew members managed to swim and climb to a two-meter-high rocky place. The Coast Guard and the Turkish Naval Forces Command rescued all 79 people onboard.
Coast guard boats escorted by two torpedo boats and a helicopter of the Turkish Naval Forces Command rushed to the Gemiler Bay near the village of Kayaköy to rescue the divers.
Apr 2, 2018
jorge namour
Ship that crashed into Istanbul waterfront mansion moored in Marmara Sea
TURKEY
April 08 2018
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ship-that-crashed-into-istanbul-wa...
ISTANBUL
A cargo vessel that crashed into a waterside mansion on the Bosphorus on April 7 has been moored in the Marmara Sea for investigation, with the owners of the mansion demanding proper prosecution against those in charge of maritime traffic.
“The ship that was involved in the accident has been routed to the Ahırkapı anchor point. There were no casualties or marine pollution caused by the incident. It was caused by an abrupt halt of the main engine,” said the Istanbul Governor’s Office in a statement on April 7.
The Maltese-flagged Vitaspirit, a 225-meter (740 foot) vessel en route from Russia to Saudi Arabia, was guided by a harbor pilot, it said.
The building’s roof and upper floors collapsed and television pictures showed the basement slumping into the water.
“It was like a horror film. Nobody understood what was going on. The ship, as tall as the building, had already ploughed before we went downstairs to the garden,” said Aslı Zeynep Ertürer, one of the members of the family that owns the mansion.
Apr 9, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/649363/coast-guard-seek...
Coast Guard searching for 17 missing after Batangas marine accident
The Philippine Coast Guard on Monday said it is searching for 17 crew of a landing craft that went adrift south of the capital, Manila, one of three weekend accidents at sea, its spokesman said.
Sea accidents are frequent in the Philippines, comprised of more than 7,000 islands, with lax regulations, ageing marine vessels and strong waves all contributing.
"Seventeen crew are missing and we are still looking for them," said Captain Armand Balilo, adding that the craft lost power near Fortune Island, a tourist spot in Batangas province.
Elsewhere, authorities on Sunday rescued all 14 boat passengers, mostly tourists, on the holiday island of Palawan and 19 people from a boat in the southeastern province of Camarines Norte, after both crafts capsized in strong waves, the coast guard said.
In December, the Philippines' coast guard rescued 252 passengers and crew, including an Australian and his Filipino wife, and retrieved five bodies from a ferry capsize in bad weather. — Reuters
Apr 10, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2018/04/30/world/social-issues-wo...
At least 15 migrants die after boat sinks off Algerian coast after leaving Morocco
ALGIERS – At least 15 African migrants died on Sunday when their boat trying to reach Europe capsized off the Algerian coast, a coast guard official said.
Coast guard and civil protection authorities rescued 19 of 34 people on board, state news agency APS said.
The boat sank off the coast of Oran, a city some 450 km west of the capital Algiers, the official told Ennahar TV station, adding that the boat had departed from Morocco.
No details on nationalities were provided.
Last week, Algeria’s interior ministry said the North African country was suffering from an influx of illegal migrants from sub-Saharan countries as Europe had made boat departures more difficult from Libya and other countries.
Apr 30, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/congo-river-boat-ca...
Boat capsizes on Congo river killing at least 49 people
Vessel travelling at night and without lights tips over
At least 49 people have died after a boat tipped over on the Congo River in the country's northwest, according to Congolese officials.
The boat was taking people from a village to the city of Mbandaka on Thursday but capsized, Tshuapa province’s vice governor, Richard Mboyo Iluka, said.
He said a team has been dispatched to investigate and determine the exact death toll.
Mr Mboyo Iluka said he did not know how many people were on the boat or how many may have survived, and a cause of the accident remains unknown.
But he added that the boat had been travelling by night and did not have lights..
The Congo River is the second longest in Africa, and, with a maximum depth of more than 220 metres, the world’s deepest.
After two tourists are kidnapped, is it safe to travel to the DRC?
In a country with few roads or railways, it is a vital trade route and the best way for many people to traverse the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Boats on the river are often overcrowded and accidents are common.
Forty-two villagers who were fleeing violence between an armed group and security forces drowned last month after their boat capsized on the Ubangi, a tributary of the Congo River.
May 25, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.indiatoday.in/pti-feed/story/mh-boat-capsize-1242023-20...
MH-BOAT-CAPSIZE
15 people rescued as floating restaurant capsizes off Mumbai
Mumbai, May 25 (PTI) Fifteen people were rescued after a yacht converted into a floating restaurant today capsized in the Arabian Sea near the Bandra Worli Sea Link in Mahim, a senior disaster management control room official said.
He said that the Fire Brigade received a call at around 6:20pm, from a person who was passing on the Bandra Worli Sea Link, about the boat facing turbulence.
The message was passed on to the Bandra police which, along with the coastal police, rescued 15 people.
A Bandra police official said that 15 people had been rescued from the boat which belonged to a company called ART.
A Coast Guard official said that the force had not received any SOS about the incident.
Vivekanand Gupta, general secretary of Mumbai unit of the BJP alleged that the floating restaurant was a fishing trawler illegally converted into a party vessel.
"It (floating hotel) was a fishing trawler illegally converted into party yacht Avior operated by Ocean Blue at Gateway of India. It later shifted to Bandra Worli sealink after it was renamed as Ark Deck Bar," Gupta said.
He demanded that police arrest those operating the floating hotel.
Some people took to Twitter to raise concerns about the safety of such floating hotels.
May 25, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/one-dead-dozens-missing-i...
One dead, dozens missing in Lake Toba boat capsize
6 18 2018
JAKARTA • A boat carrying some 80 passengers capsized in Lake Toba, North Sumatra, yesterday afternoon, with reports that at least one person had drowned.
The medan.tribunnews.com website said the incident occurred in bad weather not long after the KM Sinar Baru sailed from Simanindo at 5pm on its way to Tigaras, in Simalungun.
The boat capsized at 5.30pm. Rescue vessels have been deployed but bad weather is hindering the operation. About three dozen people have been rescued so far.
The hotels on the island in Lake Toba - the world's largest volcanic lake, which is 11/2 times the size of Singapore - were packed for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays, Indonesian media reported.
"The victim is a woman," National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said in a written statement yesterday evening.
Mr Sutopo said three passengers were rescued by the KMP Sumut 2 and two others by the KMP Sumut 1. The condition of another 14 rescued by the Sinta Damai was not yet known, while 15 others were reportedly saved at Simanindo Port.
THE JAKARTA POST/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Jun 19, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thenorthlines.com/chilika-lake-boat-capsize-toll-rises-t...
Chilika lake boat capsize toll rises to six
Bhubaneswar, Jun 17
The death toll in the boat tragedy at Chilika lake in Odisha rose to six on Sunday after four more bodies were fished out by rescue personnel.
The boat ferrying 16 people had capsized on Saturday evening after a thunderstorm lashed Asia’s biggest brackishwater lake.
Fire personnel managed to rescue 10 persons and recovered the bodies of a minor girl and her mother on Saturday night. The bodies of the four who were missing were found on Sunday morning.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh for the kin of the deceased and free medical treatment for the injured.
The mishap occurred at 6 pm when the boat from Ranapur area of Nayagarh district was returning from Kalijai island to Balugaon, chief fire officer Sukanta Sethi said.
Most of the passengers were locals who had gone to Maa Kalijai temple.
Rabi Narayan Das, who lost his wife Sradhhanjali and daughter Pramodini, said, “After we had darshan of Kalijai Goddess, the boatman asked us to hurry as it had started getting cloudy. While returning, our boat overturned. I could see my wife and daughter struggling in the water but was helpless.”
Additional chief executive of Chilika Development Authority, Sasmita Lenka said the boat should have left before 5 pm as there was a warning for thunderstorm.
An official said though the boats operating in the lake were licensed, many of them were not fit to be on water. “In many cases, the centre of gravity was not correct. Many of the boats have very old engines which stop in the midst and have to be hauled by another boat,” said the official.
There were no life jackets too in the boat. Officials said the water was hardly 6–7-ft deep at the place where it capsized. “The boat had no anchor as well, which could have helped the boatman steady the boat during inclement weather,” said the official.
In 2016, four persons had drowned to death when a boat capsized in Chilika lake. After the tragedy, the state government had amended the Odisha Boat Rules making life jackets mandatory for all boats. It also made it mandatory for all passengers travelling in a licensed boat to be covered by life insurance.
Jun 19, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.naijanews.com/2018/07/02/one-dead-18-others-missing-as-...
One Dead, 18 Others Missing As Boat Capsize
July 2 2018
Boat Conveying 44 Illegal Immigrant Capsizes, Leaving One Dead, 18 Missing
A woman has been confirmed dead, while 18 persons have been declared missing following a boat which capsized while conveying dozens of Indonesian illegal migrants in the South China Sea off the Malaysian coast on Sunday.
Senior coast guard official, Sanifah Yusof confirmed that the boat with 44 people on board capsized Sunday night off the southern state of Johor as it headed for Malaysia from the Indonesian island of Batam.
He also said a woman was found drowned while another 25 people were rescued by the authorities.
“There are 18 people left (missing), we are still doing the search and rescue,”
Sanifah believed the boat was overloaded and ran into bad weather.
A coast guard statement said nearly 150 officers from various government agencies with seven boats and ships as well as a helicopter were searching an area of 150 square nautical miles.
Indonesian illegal migrants often make a perilous journey in small rickety boats to Malaysia in search of work, mainly in construction and agriculture.
More than a dozen Indonesians died when their boat sank off the Malaysian coast due to rough seas in January 2017.
Jul 2, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/dead-sinking-ferry-r...
At least 12 dead as sinking ferry run aground off Sulawesi
By The Associated Press
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Jul 3, 2018, 7:15 AM ETAt least 12 people were killed and a frantic rescue operation was underway Tuesday off the Indonesian island of Sulawesi for dozens of passengers of a sinking passenger ferry run aground by its captain in a desperate bid to save lives.
The latest in a succession of boat tragedies in Indonesia comes on the same day that officials called off a search for 164 people presumed drowned when a wooden ferry sank two weeks ago in a deep volcanic crater lake on the island of Sumatra.
South Sulawesi province police spokesman Dicky Sondani said the Lestari Maju ferry was about 200 meters (yards) from shore. It had 139 passengers on board, according to its manifest, as well as cars, trucks and motorcycles.
Photos distributed via the National Disaster Mitigation Agency showed passengers perched on the listing vessel as others descended into the heavy seas using ropes hung over its side. Most appeared to be wearing lifejackets
The agency said 12 people were dead, including two children aged 2 and 3.
Sondani said the captain steered the 48.5-meter-long (159-foot-long) vessel toward shore after it began sinking on a voyage from the port of Bira to Selayar island, just south of the main Sulawesi island.
Director-General of Sea Transportation Agus Purnomo said in a statement that the captain's actions were helping the rescue effort.
More than 30 people have been rescued and eight of them were being treated in a hospital, said Selayar district chief Basli Ali.
"We are still trying to evacuate the passengers with help from the police, army, search and rescue agency as well as locals," Ali said.
Ferry tragedies are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with weak enforcement of safety regulations often to blame. The Lake Toba sinking was the worst in about a decade.
Jul 5, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://news.sky.com/story/dozens-missing-after-tourist-boats-capsi...
Forty-nine missing in Thailand after tourist boat capsizes off Phuket
Officials had earlier issued a warning of severe weather in the area, including heavy rain and strong winds.
20:00, UK, Thursday 05 July 2018
Forty-nine people are missing after a tourist boat capsized off the popular island resort of Phuket in Thailand, according to officials.
Having earlier reported that at least seven people were missing after the vessel overturned in the Andaman Sea, the governor of the island has now upgraded the total.
The boat was carrying 97 passengers.
Governor Norraphat Plodthong revealed that only 48 people - all from a group of Chinese tourists - had been rescued so far, with all the others unaccounted for.
He earlier said that 90 people had been rescued from the boat, which was returning to Phuket from the island of Koh Racha when it came up against rough waves in the early evening.
Local police commander Teerapol Tipcharoen said the recovery operation would resume on Friday morning, and a relief operation centre has been set up at Chalong Bay.
In a separate incident in the same area at around the same time, another boat carrying 39 people - reportedly Chinese and European tourists - also capsized.
and another link:
https://m.news24.com/World/News/dozens-of-chinese-tourists-missing-...
Dozens of Chinese tourists missing in boat capsize off Thailand's Phuket
Phuket - Dozens of mainly Chinese passengers are missing after a boat capsized as high winds whipped up rough seas off the Thai tourist island of Phuket, officials said late on Thursday.
The boat was carrying around 90 passengers when it keeled over after it was hit by massive waves, prompting a rescue operation that stretched into the night and left authorities scrambling to react.
The governor of southern Phuket, Noraphat Plodthong, said 49 people - more than half of the passengers - were still "being helped" as rescue boats rushed to the scene.
A second provincial official, requesting anonymity, told AFP rescuers they "are working to find" the 49 missing.
Television footage taken at a pier in Phuket showed stunned tourists huddling in blankets, while several women cried as medics tended to the injured.
The boat was returning to Phuket from Koh Racha at around 16:00 (09:00 GMT) when a storm hit, according to the captain, who identified himself as Somjing Boontham in a televised interview.
He said the boat was hit by five metre-high waves, which flooded the boat and started to slowly keel over, prompting him to warn passengers to put on life jackets and trigger inflatable life rafts.
"So I sent someone to them to wear life jackets... They were all Chinese visitors - apart from two farang," he said using Thai vernacular for westerners, adding around half the passengers were unaccounted for.
Phuket is a magnet for overseas visitors including Western sun-seekers and Chinese tourists who will make up the bulk of the 35 million people expected to visit the kingdom this year.
Governor Noraphat said Phuket officials had issued a weather warning on Wednesday alerting the public about impending storms.
"There were high winds this evening," he said, adding a further 10 pleasure boats were stranded at sea and being attended to by rescue boats from the police and navy.
Others who made it to shore were covered in blankets and being tended to by medics at a pier in Phuket, several women cried and shouted in what sounded like Chinese.
Two other separate boat capsizes were reported in the same area on Thursday evening.
A yacht called the Senerita carrying 39 people also capsized in the high seas, the officials added.
All of the passengers in both cases were pulled from the sea alive.
Photographs circulating on social media showed soaked and exhausted passengers - most of them Asian - in life jackets being pulled on inflatable rafts to safety.
It was not immediately clear which boat they belonged to.
Thailand has a sketchy health and safety record and accidents are common on its roads and busy waterways - especially during the monsoon season which is now biting.
The kingdom is already in the global spotlight for a dramatic rescue mission in the north of the country, after 12 boys and their football coach were trapped in a cave complex.
Jul 6, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.news.com.au/world/breaking-news/boat-with-160-migrants-...
Nineteen dead as boat sinks off Cyprus
Rescuers are still searching for 25 people after 19 migrants died when a boat sank off the coast of northern Cyprus.
Nineteen people died when a boat carrying 150 migrants sank off the coast of northern Cyprus and rescuers were searching for 25 other people, according to Turkey's coast guard.
It said 103 migrants were rescued by boats and helicopters of the Turkish and northern Cypriot coast guards, helped by commercial boats in the area, from the sunken boat some 30km off the north Cyprus coast.
One rescued person was in critical condition and has been brought to northern Cyprus by helicopter, the coast guard said. It did not say where the other rescued passengers had been taken.
A Panama-flagged commercial ship spotted the migrant boat some 25 nautical miles from Turkey's southern province of Antalya and alerted the coast guard on Wednesday morning, the statement said.
In 2015, Turkey became one of the main launch points for more than a million migrants taking the dangerous sea route to the European Union, many fleeing conflict and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.
A 2016 deal between Turkey and the European Union sharply reduced the flow of refugees into the bloc, after thousands died crossing from Turkey to Greek islands a few miles offshore.
From January to May this year at least 26 migrants died trying to cross to Europe from Turkey, according to coast guard statistics.
Mediterranean arrivals to the bloc, including refugees making the longer and more perilous crossing from north Africa to Italy, stood at 172,301 in 2017, down from 362,753 in 2016 and 1,015,078 in 2015, according to data from the United Nations.
Jul 18, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/state-and-regional/eight-confir...
Eight confirmed dead as boat capsizes on Table Rock Lake near Branson, authorities say
NEAR BRANSON, Mo. • Eight people are dead and an unknown number of others are missing after a tourist boat capsized on Table Rock Lake on Thursday night, the Stone County sheriff said.
Sheriff Doug Rader said that seven people were taken by ambulance from the scene where the Duck Boat sank.
"It capsized and sank," said of the tourist boat.
He added that the disaster had apparently been caused by a powerful storm that moved through.
Rader said a deputy from his department had been on the boat went it went under. He credited the deputy with rescuing some of those onboard.
He also said that the rescue and recovery would be continuing overnight.
People who had relatives on the boat were urged to go to Branson City Hall to await reports.
Officials with the Southern Stone County Fire Protection District confirmed that several injured people were taken to hospitals and the coroner has been called out for people who have died.
The accident reportedly happened after a severe line of thunderstorms rolled through the area. Officials noted there was "storm debris" around the area.
The Southern Stone County Fire Protection District spokesman Eric Nielsen said the boat, which he described as a "tourist-type vessel," is under the water and cannot be seen from the surface.
The Southern Stone County Fire Protection District said at about 8:20 p.m. that crews from several agencies and divers were on scene and that several people had been taken to a hospital.
The fire district said the Branson Belle showboat is being used in the rescue but was not involved.
Jul 20, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/orange/os-boat-capsizes-indian-...
Eleven people rescued from Indian River after boat capsizes near Brewer Bridge, Titusville fire officials say
Eleven people were rescued Sunday from the Indian River after a boat they were riding in capsized near the north side of Max Brewer Bridge, according to the Titusville Fire Department.
Fire officials launched a boat rescue operation with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and brought back nine adults and two children to the marina around 3:30 p.m., the fire department said on Twitter.
“There is no report of any medical need at this time, the department said. One person was evaluated at the scene but refused transport to a hospital.
Videos posted on the department’s Twitter page showed officials driving rescue boats from an island to the shore.
and another:
https://myfox8.com/2018/07/22/coast-guard-rescues-two-men-after-boa...
Coast Guard rescues two men after boat capsizes off the North Carolina coast
ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued two men whose boat capsized off the North Carolina coast.
WTKR reported that a helicopter crew saved the men Wednesday morning at the southern end of the Pamlico Sound.
One man’s wife called for help Tuesday night, saying the generator on the men’s boat was not working properly.
The men departed Ocracoke Tuesday morning and were planning to shrimp in Pamlico Sound before unloading their catch in Engelhard.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew found the overturned 35-foot fishing boat about four miles south of Wysocking Bay shortly before 6:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Neither of the men were with the boat, but another mariner reported a debris field about seven miles northeast of the boat’s location.
The aircrew began searching that area and found both men clinging to debris.
The men were rescued and taken back to Air Station Elizabeth City, where they met emergency workers.
Neither had serious injuries, but were both taken to Sentara Albemarle Medical Center.
and another:
http://odishatv.in/odisha/5-fishermen-go-missing-after-boat-capsize...
Update: Boat capsize in Balasore: 1 dead, 3 still missing
Last updated Jul 22, 2018 - 20:46:11
Balasore: Body of one fisherman was found while three others are yet to be traced in the boat capsize incident that took place near Kirtania jetty in Balasore district today morning.
The body of the deceased fishermen was recovered near Kankadapal under Baliapal block by the rescue team comprising personnel from the Fire Services department and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)
Of the six persons who had gone missing, two managed to swim across to the shore.
Earlier in the day, 17 fishermen from Bhogarai Kirtania of Balasore had gone into the sea in two separate machine boats when their boat capsized. Following the incident, 12 of them had reached the shore.
Additional collector Manas Padhi assured that adequate measures are being taken to rescue the other fishermen.
“Teams of Jaleswar and Bhogarai fire stations are deployed on the spot. ODRAF team has reached and we are in touch with the police to ensure smooth conduct of the operation,” Padhi said.
Elaborating the rescue operations, NDRF Commander Narendra Kumar said, “Our team is equipped with all required materials to conduct the rescue operation. We are alert to face any situation arising out of bad weather conditions.”
Jul 23, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/20/passenger-boat-with-67-aboard-sin...
Passenger boat with 67 aboard sinks off Batangas
Published July 20, 2018, 7:02 PM
CALATAGAN, Batangas — A ferryboat with 57 passengers and a crew of 10 sank in waters off this town due to strong waves Friday afternoon, police said.
(photo from Pixabay)
An initial report from Batangas Police Provincial Office (PPO) said “M/V Lucky Benjamin” sank at 2:05 p.m. while approaching the boundary of Calatagan and Occidental Mindoro.
The PPO said all passengers and crew survived the accident.
It was learned that M/V Lucky Benjamin was headed for Looc, Occidental Mindoro.
Jul 24, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/993787/greece-fires-wildfires-...
Greece fires: Ten tourists drown when boat capsizes in tragic rescue
TEN tourists drowned as a boat trying to rescue them from the inferno engulfing the forest capsized, raising the number of victims to at least 74.
PUBLISHED: 22:53, Tue, Jul 24, 2018
Desperate holidaymakers and residents were forced into the water by a wildfire that “struck like a flamethrower” in the Greek town of Mati.
But some of those who survived the blaze found their death in the sea.
Among them, a mother and son from Poland died when the vessel flipped in the rough seas.
The boat had picked up guests from a hotel in Mati which they escaped as fires tore through the resort. Continues......................
Jul 25, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/news/tn-dpt-me-boat-rescue...
13 people rescued from sinking boat off Newport Beach
Jul 24, 2018 | 11:45 AM
Thirteen people were rescued Sunday when a 30-foot fishing boat began to sink off the coast of Newport Beach.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol responded at about 2:20 p.m. after a boat owner reported that his vessel, Bonnie Mac, was smoking and taking on water about a half-mile south of the Newport Harbor entrance, according to a Sheriff’s Department news release.
The 51-year-old Irvine resident and his 18-year-old son, who had invited friends for a cruise on the ocean, couldn’t figure out what was wrong with the boat. So they decided to head back toward the harbor and call for help, authorities said. Their names were not released.
Harbor Patrol crews and Newport Beach lifeguards arrived and evacuated the occupants from the sinking vessel.
“Tying a rescue boat to the vessel, the crew used three pumps in an attempt to dispel water more quickly than the damaged fishing boat was taking it on, but the flooding outpaced the power of the pumps,” the Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
The weight of the sinking boat started to tip the Harbor Patrol vessel, so the crew cut the fishing boat free. It sank in less than a minute at about 2:45 p.m., according to the Sheriff’s Department.
Harbor Patrol helped pull the sunken Bonnie Mac from the ocean Monday night. The origin of the problem with the boat was unclear.
Jul 25, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.therepublic.com/2018/08/03/as-indonesia-boat-sinks/
Fishing boat capsizes off Java, all 13 aboard missing
JAKARTA, Indonesia — A fishing boat capsized Friday in bad weather off Indonesia’s main island of Java, leaving 13 people missing, a rescue official said.
The boat, Bunga Hati 2, left port from the town of Karangsong in West Java and capsized in the Java Sea about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Biawak Island off the northern coast of Java.
A spokesman for the local search and rescue agency, Joshua Banjarnahor, said rescuers found the capsized ship and its net but none of the crewmen.
He said the boat left port during strong winds and high waves.
Eight ships and nearly 100 people were searching for the missing crew, Banjarnahor said. The search was hampered by strong winds and huge waves.
A cargo ship reportedly sailed through the area of the sinking and officials were trying to contact it, hoping it had rescued the crewmen, Banjarnahor said.
Sea accidents are common in Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, with weak enforcement of safety regulations often to blame.
Aug 4, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/663187/military-rescues...
Tourist boat sinks off Palawan; crewmen, passengers safely rescued
Crewmen and guests were safely rescued from a tourist boat which sank in the waters off Helicopter Island in El Nido, Palawan on Monday.
According to the Philippine military, the Western Command Naval Ship BRP Nestor Reinoso (PC 380) responded to the emergency at noon after receiving a call from Captain Lakanni Hidalgo, security officer of Ayala Resort.
When PC 380 reached the area, a speedboat from the Miniloc resort was in the process of rescuing those aboard the sinking M/B Cleopatra.
The tourist boat M/B Cleopatra sailed from El Nido for a private island tour. Aboard were 10 Filipino guests, a tour guide, and three crewmen, including the vessel's captain Hayrone Sulayman.
As they sailed towards a small lagoon in Miniloc Island, heavy seas badly damaged the Cleopatra's bow.
Sulayman positioned the guests on his boat's fantail in an attempt to keep for the boat level, but the vessel continued to sink due to sea conditions.
Other tourist boats managed to come to the assistance of the Cleopatra and transferred the tourists off the sinking vessel.
The Cleopatra's crew, however, remained aboard even as the boat began to quickly drift towards the Dimumacad and Calaragnan Islands.
Eventually, all the guests and crewmen were rescued and all were back safe in El Nido by 1 p.m.
Aug 6, 2018
Starr DiGiacomo
https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/coast-guard-assessing-over...
Tug carrying up to 22,000 litres of fuel capsizes in Fraser River off Vancouver
There were four people aboard the vessel and all were rescued by the crew on a nearby tug
The smell of diesel filled the air as crews worked to recover a mostly sunken tugboat that may have spilled as much as 22,000 litres of the fuel in the Fraser River between Vancouver and Richmond on Monday night.
Canadian Coast Guard spokesman Dan Bate said it’s unknown what caused the George H. Ledcor tug to capsize around 10 p.m. Monday, just east of Vancouver International Airport.
There were four people aboard and all were rescued by the crew of a nearby tug, Bate said.
The capsized vessel is part of a gravel tug-and-tow operation and was towing a gravel barge. The vessel was about three-quarters submerged and had been secured to pilings, Bate said.
While the tug’s fuel capacity is 22,000 litres, he said crews are still assessing the total volume of the fuel spill.
It’s unclear what the impact of the spill will be on the the north arm of the salmon-bearing Fraser River.
“Right now it’s too early to see what that looks like, obviously it will depend on the quantities and actions that are taken,” Bate said.
Booms and absorbent pads have been placed around the vessel by the coast guard and Western Canada Marine Response Corporation, the organization responsible for responding to oil spills off the B.C. coast.
Michael Lowry with Western Canada Marine Response said the company has been retained by Ledcor, which operates the tug, and about 15 bags of the absorbent pads have already been collected.
He said the pads are put in place when there is a “light sheen” on the water, adding it was impossible to tell how much diesel had been soaked up.
David Hoff with Ledcor said divers have been down to see the tug and assess how the company would recover the vessel. The company said the recovery would happen on Wednesday.
“For safety reasons an additional, a larger crane and barge will be used to lift the tug. Spill containment equipment and personnel will remain on-site until the lift is completed,” it said on Twitter.
Other responding agencies include the B.C. Environment Ministry, City of Vancouver, Musqueam First Nation and Transport Canada.
In a statement, the First Nation said the fuel spill is “of great concern” to the Musqueam people, who have been fishing the biggest salmon return in years on the Fraser River alongside other fishermen.
Musqueam sent staff to monitor the containment and cleanup, it said, however Chief Wayne Sparrow expressed frustration that the First Nation has done so without any federal support through the $1.5-billion Oceans Protection Plan.
“The impact of what has happened with this immediate situation is an indication of what is to come as far as additional tanker traffic, barges and pollution. We are not in opposition to Canada’s plan on industrialization of the river, but we need to be there at the front of any kind of emergency response, period,” Sparrow said in the statement.
Workers on a spill response boat remove an absorbent boom from the propeller on the boat’s engine after it became caught while working at the scene where a tugboat capsized and sank on the Fraser River between Vancouver and Richmond, B.C., on Tuesday August 14, 2018. Canadian Coast Guard spokesman Dan Bate said it’s unknown what caused the George H. Ledcor tug to capsize early Tuesday near Vancouver International Airport. Four people aboard the vessel were all rescued. DARRYL DYCK / THE CANADIAN PRESS
Aug 15, 2018