Working Conditions Aboard the Marietje-Andrea

During the search for the two Pinoy sailors lost over board from the "Marietje Andrea" on Dec 5 enroute Rotterdam-Riga, at 1:39 p.m. the rescue helicopter Lifeguard 907 took off from Sturup after refueling and returned to the search area. The area was very well searched without discoveries having been made. The weather in the area has worsened. The wind blew with over 20 m/s, and the wave height was 3-4 meters, which meant tough conditions for all involved. At 1.40 p.m. a number of merchant ships were thanked for their efforts and allowed to continue to their destinations. The lifeboat "Gad Rausing" returned to its base. The "KBV 202" headed for port, and the surveillance aircraft KBV 502 departed to Skavsta Airport. The Danish helicopter R520 departed to Rönne. The "Marietje Andrea", "KBV 003", the lifeboat "Elsa Johansson" and the helicopter Lifeguard 907 remained in the area. At 3.30 p.m. also the "Elsa Johansson" was thanked and returned to port. After a search for over six hours without any trace of the men, darkness has fallen and the weather at the site has steadily deteriorated during the day. At 3 40 p.m. the search was terminated and the matter treated by the police in Skåne. All participating units were thanked for their efforts. The cargo ship resumed its voyage to Riga with a reduced crew. It docked on Dec 7 at 2.25 a.m. Swedish reports with photos: http://www.sjofartsverket.se/sv/Sjofart/Sjo--och-flygraddning/JRCC-Online/Tva-personer-overbord-soder-om-Ystad/?RescueType=1&Status=1&Period=2 http://www.kustbevakningen.se/sv/granslos-samverkan/nyhetsarkiv/resultatlost-sokande-efter-tva-man/

On Dec 5, 2013, ath 8.28 a.m. the Sjöfartsverkets received a mayday-call from the "Marietje Andrea" which lost two men over board off Ystad. The two Filipino sailors, aged 26 and 27 years, were cousins, one on his first trip underway from Vlaardingen to Riga and the other having already workerd for years for the shipowner Danser van Gent. After breakfast and a work meeting in the wheelhouse at 8 a.m.they walked toward the foreship to scrub the covered front deck with anchor winches clean. At 08:15 a.m. the helmsman raised alarm after he heard a terrible scream through the open wheelhouse door to port. From the bridge wing, he saw two men in the water. The ship immediately turned around, there was an MOB alarm broadcast, lifesaving means were thrown overboard. They did not wear immersion suits nor life vests but only overalls. Wind on scene was 15-20 m/s from S/SE, and waves were growing. The water had eight degrees. A search was launched including four merchant ships and the "Marietje Andrea", the helicpter Lifeguard 907, a Danish helicopter, the surveillance aircraft 502, the patrol boats "KBV 003 - Amfitrite", "KBV 202" and the lifeboats "Gad Rausing" and "Elsa Johansson". The search was coordinated by the JRCC with the "KBV 003" as On Scene Coordinator. Until now, only a man over board-buoy of the "Marietje Andrea" was found in the search area of 7,4 km x 7,4 km. By 12:45 a.m. the visibility in the area has deteriorated. The Helicopter R507 returned to Rönne to refuel and was replaced by the Danish Sjövärnets helicopter R520. The rescue helicopter Lifeguard 907 returned to Sturup to refuel. The Swedish defence helicopter Stingray 338 has returned to ist base in Ronneby to refuel and would not be returning due to strong winds. Swedish Report with photos: http://www.ystadsallehanda.se/ystad/article2038350/Man-over-bord-ute-till-havs.html