On Thursday, all 15 crew members were safely evacuated from a burning offshore supply vessel near South Africa’s southern Cape. The fire broke out on the AM PRIDE, a 66,6-meter vessel registered under the Marshall Islands flag, about 48,5 nautical miles south of Mossel Bay in the Western Cape.
The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) reported that the ship caught fire early in the morning and issued a distress call around 10:30 AM local time. A MayDay relay was quickly initiated through Telkom Maritime Services to request help from nearby vessels.
Source: courtesy SAMSA
Despite severe weather conditions, including strong winds and high swells, a PetroSA helicopter managed to rescue all crew members. Eight were initially taken to a nearby FA platform, while the other seven were flown directly to George. They are scheduled to be transported to Cape Town on Friday.
As the rescue operation wraps up, efforts are now focused on salvaging the damaged vessel. The Emergency Towing Vessel Mkhuseli has been dispatched to tow the AM PRIDE to a safe location.
