Latest news with #AMSA
ABC News
21 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Four rescued from Hoskyn Island after boat begins to sink
Four people have been rescued from a remote island on the southern Great Barrier Reef after their boat began to sink. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said it detected a distress beacon from the recreational boat near Hoskyn Island about 4:30am on Sunday. The boat was about 55 kilometres north-east of 1770 in the Gladstone region. A spokesperson for Bundaberg's LifeFlight Rescue helicopter said three adults and a teenager had been out fishing on Saturday when they took shelter on the island because of poor weather. During the night, they discovered their boat was also taking in water. The group were flown to Lady Musgrave Island and then transferred back to the mainland by boat. The Queensland Ambulance Service said no-one was injured or required medical treatment. The AMSA said the event served as an important reminder of the importance of carrying distress beacons.
The Advertiser
15-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Ship's near stranding exposes emergency response flaws
A ship's anchors prevented a "catastrophic stranding" on a rocky shore in heavy weather, a safety investigation has found, faulting the ship's operator, maritime agencies, a port authority and a salvage company. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report into the July 2022 incident found the bulk carrier Portland Bay left Port Kembla, south of Sydney, but remained near the coast instead of safely clearing it. Multiple engine problems as the Hong Kong-flagged vessel pitched and rolled reduced speed to a minimum, "effectively disabling the ship in bad weather" and endangering the crew. The vessel was carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, raising concerns a grounding would have dire environmental consequences. When the master reported to the ship's operators, Pacific Basin Shipping, he was not advised about notifying authorities. This led to a delay in reporting the situation to the Port Authority of NSW's vessel traffic service, compounded by the service not promptly forwarding the master's report to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. "The various delays resulted in delaying the tug assistance requested and the master had to deploy both anchors to prevent stranding," said the report, released on Thursday, the bureau's most comprehensive marine investigation in nearly two decades. Rescue helicopters were sent to the ship but had to abandon a plan to winch the crew to safety due to the ship's instability. Three tugs began towing the carrier away from the coast but one towline parted in rough seas, causing the vessel to again drift towards the shore, prompting the master to again deploy anchors. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the anchors, while not designed to hold the ship in such severe conditions, "prevented a catastrophic stranding on the rocky shore". An emergency towage vessel was sent from Newcastle and the vessel was towed into Port Botany for repairs on July 6. The ATSB report identified several emergency response issues, including that AMSA and port authority procedures were "not effectively implemented". It also found the co-ordination of critical elements of the emergency response between the port authority, Transport for NSW and AMSA were inadequate and inconsistent with the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. "These safety issues prolonged the emergency and the exposure to stranding, with potentially severe consequences." The investigation also found United Salvage was limited in its ability to provide the salvage services required as it did not operate towage vessels, so was reliant on towage providers. Pacific Basin Shipping has revised its crisis management procedures to include at least one exercise each year and to stress early reporting of incidents AMSA has reviewed emergency procedures and increased staffing and training. The ATSB recommended AMSA, the NSW port authority and maritime arm of Transport for NSW take further action on issues raised in the report. "Three legislated bodies had a defined role within relevant legislation and state and national plans to respond to this emergency, but each agency did not believe that the response necessarily fell within their responsibility," Mr Mitchell said. The report noted failures in emergency response were usually associated with actions that were "too little, too late". "Australia's National Plan reiterates the principle of over‑escalation in an initial response as it is more effective to scale down than up." A ship's anchors prevented a "catastrophic stranding" on a rocky shore in heavy weather, a safety investigation has found, faulting the ship's operator, maritime agencies, a port authority and a salvage company. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report into the July 2022 incident found the bulk carrier Portland Bay left Port Kembla, south of Sydney, but remained near the coast instead of safely clearing it. Multiple engine problems as the Hong Kong-flagged vessel pitched and rolled reduced speed to a minimum, "effectively disabling the ship in bad weather" and endangering the crew. The vessel was carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, raising concerns a grounding would have dire environmental consequences. When the master reported to the ship's operators, Pacific Basin Shipping, he was not advised about notifying authorities. This led to a delay in reporting the situation to the Port Authority of NSW's vessel traffic service, compounded by the service not promptly forwarding the master's report to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. "The various delays resulted in delaying the tug assistance requested and the master had to deploy both anchors to prevent stranding," said the report, released on Thursday, the bureau's most comprehensive marine investigation in nearly two decades. Rescue helicopters were sent to the ship but had to abandon a plan to winch the crew to safety due to the ship's instability. Three tugs began towing the carrier away from the coast but one towline parted in rough seas, causing the vessel to again drift towards the shore, prompting the master to again deploy anchors. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the anchors, while not designed to hold the ship in such severe conditions, "prevented a catastrophic stranding on the rocky shore". An emergency towage vessel was sent from Newcastle and the vessel was towed into Port Botany for repairs on July 6. The ATSB report identified several emergency response issues, including that AMSA and port authority procedures were "not effectively implemented". It also found the co-ordination of critical elements of the emergency response between the port authority, Transport for NSW and AMSA were inadequate and inconsistent with the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. "These safety issues prolonged the emergency and the exposure to stranding, with potentially severe consequences." The investigation also found United Salvage was limited in its ability to provide the salvage services required as it did not operate towage vessels, so was reliant on towage providers. Pacific Basin Shipping has revised its crisis management procedures to include at least one exercise each year and to stress early reporting of incidents AMSA has reviewed emergency procedures and increased staffing and training. The ATSB recommended AMSA, the NSW port authority and maritime arm of Transport for NSW take further action on issues raised in the report. "Three legislated bodies had a defined role within relevant legislation and state and national plans to respond to this emergency, but each agency did not believe that the response necessarily fell within their responsibility," Mr Mitchell said. The report noted failures in emergency response were usually associated with actions that were "too little, too late". "Australia's National Plan reiterates the principle of over‑escalation in an initial response as it is more effective to scale down than up." A ship's anchors prevented a "catastrophic stranding" on a rocky shore in heavy weather, a safety investigation has found, faulting the ship's operator, maritime agencies, a port authority and a salvage company. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report into the July 2022 incident found the bulk carrier Portland Bay left Port Kembla, south of Sydney, but remained near the coast instead of safely clearing it. Multiple engine problems as the Hong Kong-flagged vessel pitched and rolled reduced speed to a minimum, "effectively disabling the ship in bad weather" and endangering the crew. The vessel was carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, raising concerns a grounding would have dire environmental consequences. When the master reported to the ship's operators, Pacific Basin Shipping, he was not advised about notifying authorities. This led to a delay in reporting the situation to the Port Authority of NSW's vessel traffic service, compounded by the service not promptly forwarding the master's report to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. "The various delays resulted in delaying the tug assistance requested and the master had to deploy both anchors to prevent stranding," said the report, released on Thursday, the bureau's most comprehensive marine investigation in nearly two decades. Rescue helicopters were sent to the ship but had to abandon a plan to winch the crew to safety due to the ship's instability. Three tugs began towing the carrier away from the coast but one towline parted in rough seas, causing the vessel to again drift towards the shore, prompting the master to again deploy anchors. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the anchors, while not designed to hold the ship in such severe conditions, "prevented a catastrophic stranding on the rocky shore". An emergency towage vessel was sent from Newcastle and the vessel was towed into Port Botany for repairs on July 6. The ATSB report identified several emergency response issues, including that AMSA and port authority procedures were "not effectively implemented". It also found the co-ordination of critical elements of the emergency response between the port authority, Transport for NSW and AMSA were inadequate and inconsistent with the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. "These safety issues prolonged the emergency and the exposure to stranding, with potentially severe consequences." The investigation also found United Salvage was limited in its ability to provide the salvage services required as it did not operate towage vessels, so was reliant on towage providers. Pacific Basin Shipping has revised its crisis management procedures to include at least one exercise each year and to stress early reporting of incidents AMSA has reviewed emergency procedures and increased staffing and training. The ATSB recommended AMSA, the NSW port authority and maritime arm of Transport for NSW take further action on issues raised in the report. "Three legislated bodies had a defined role within relevant legislation and state and national plans to respond to this emergency, but each agency did not believe that the response necessarily fell within their responsibility," Mr Mitchell said. The report noted failures in emergency response were usually associated with actions that were "too little, too late". "Australia's National Plan reiterates the principle of over‑escalation in an initial response as it is more effective to scale down than up." A ship's anchors prevented a "catastrophic stranding" on a rocky shore in heavy weather, a safety investigation has found, faulting the ship's operator, maritime agencies, a port authority and a salvage company. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report into the July 2022 incident found the bulk carrier Portland Bay left Port Kembla, south of Sydney, but remained near the coast instead of safely clearing it. Multiple engine problems as the Hong Kong-flagged vessel pitched and rolled reduced speed to a minimum, "effectively disabling the ship in bad weather" and endangering the crew. The vessel was carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, raising concerns a grounding would have dire environmental consequences. When the master reported to the ship's operators, Pacific Basin Shipping, he was not advised about notifying authorities. This led to a delay in reporting the situation to the Port Authority of NSW's vessel traffic service, compounded by the service not promptly forwarding the master's report to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. "The various delays resulted in delaying the tug assistance requested and the master had to deploy both anchors to prevent stranding," said the report, released on Thursday, the bureau's most comprehensive marine investigation in nearly two decades. Rescue helicopters were sent to the ship but had to abandon a plan to winch the crew to safety due to the ship's instability. Three tugs began towing the carrier away from the coast but one towline parted in rough seas, causing the vessel to again drift towards the shore, prompting the master to again deploy anchors. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the anchors, while not designed to hold the ship in such severe conditions, "prevented a catastrophic stranding on the rocky shore". An emergency towage vessel was sent from Newcastle and the vessel was towed into Port Botany for repairs on July 6. The ATSB report identified several emergency response issues, including that AMSA and port authority procedures were "not effectively implemented". It also found the co-ordination of critical elements of the emergency response between the port authority, Transport for NSW and AMSA were inadequate and inconsistent with the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. "These safety issues prolonged the emergency and the exposure to stranding, with potentially severe consequences." The investigation also found United Salvage was limited in its ability to provide the salvage services required as it did not operate towage vessels, so was reliant on towage providers. Pacific Basin Shipping has revised its crisis management procedures to include at least one exercise each year and to stress early reporting of incidents AMSA has reviewed emergency procedures and increased staffing and training. The ATSB recommended AMSA, the NSW port authority and maritime arm of Transport for NSW take further action on issues raised in the report. "Three legislated bodies had a defined role within relevant legislation and state and national plans to respond to this emergency, but each agency did not believe that the response necessarily fell within their responsibility," Mr Mitchell said. The report noted failures in emergency response were usually associated with actions that were "too little, too late". "Australia's National Plan reiterates the principle of over‑escalation in an initial response as it is more effective to scale down than up."
Perth Now
15-05-2025
- General
- Perth Now
Ship's near stranding exposes emergency response flaws
A ship's anchors prevented a "catastrophic stranding" on a rocky shore in heavy weather, a safety investigation has found, faulting the ship's operator, maritime agencies, a port authority and a salvage company. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's final report into the July 2022 incident found the bulk carrier Portland Bay left Port Kembla, south of Sydney, but remained near the coast instead of safely clearing it. Multiple engine problems as the Hong Kong-flagged vessel pitched and rolled reduced speed to a minimum, "effectively disabling the ship in bad weather" and endangering the crew. The vessel was carrying 950 tonnes of heavy fuel oil, raising concerns a grounding would have dire environmental consequences. When the master reported to the ship's operators, Pacific Basin Shipping, he was not advised about notifying authorities. This led to a delay in reporting the situation to the Port Authority of NSW's vessel traffic service, compounded by the service not promptly forwarding the master's report to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. "The various delays resulted in delaying the tug assistance requested and the master had to deploy both anchors to prevent stranding," said the report, released on Thursday, the bureau's most comprehensive marine investigation in nearly two decades. Rescue helicopters were sent to the ship but had to abandon a plan to winch the crew to safety due to the ship's instability. Three tugs began towing the carrier away from the coast but one towline parted in rough seas, causing the vessel to again drift towards the shore, prompting the master to again deploy anchors. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said the anchors, while not designed to hold the ship in such severe conditions, "prevented a catastrophic stranding on the rocky shore". An emergency towage vessel was sent from Newcastle and the vessel was towed into Port Botany for repairs on July 6. The ATSB report identified several emergency response issues, including that AMSA and port authority procedures were "not effectively implemented". It also found the co-ordination of critical elements of the emergency response between the port authority, Transport for NSW and AMSA were inadequate and inconsistent with the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. "These safety issues prolonged the emergency and the exposure to stranding, with potentially severe consequences." The investigation also found United Salvage was limited in its ability to provide the salvage services required as it did not operate towage vessels, so was reliant on towage providers. Pacific Basin Shipping has revised its crisis management procedures to include at least one exercise each year and to stress early reporting of incidents AMSA has reviewed emergency procedures and increased staffing and training. The ATSB recommended AMSA, the NSW port authority and maritime arm of Transport for NSW take further action on issues raised in the report. "Three legislated bodies had a defined role within relevant legislation and state and national plans to respond to this emergency, but each agency did not believe that the response necessarily fell within their responsibility," Mr Mitchell said. The report noted failures in emergency response were usually associated with actions that were "too little, too late". "Australia's National Plan reiterates the principle of over‑escalation in an initial response as it is more effective to scale down than up."
Herald Sun
12-05-2025
- General
- Herald Sun
Sailors rescued from sinking yacht in Coral Sea, 350km east of Brisbane
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News. Three sailors have been saved from a sinking yacht hundreds of kilometres off the Queensland coast. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) from QLD and Victoria, NSW Police, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and a cargo vessel all responded to help the three crew members, who issued a distress signal about 7am on Sunday. Their 17m yacht was at risk of sinking in the Coral Sea about 350km east of Brisbane after it took on water and experienced electrical problems. The crew used a satellite emergency notification device to alert AMSA. An AMSA spokesman said the agency deployed the Essendon and Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft, which arrived at the yacht's location at 10am and 11.30am. The aircraft dropped two life rafts, communication equipment and a dewatering pump to the yacht. Cargo vessel Darya Nitya was nearby and responded to AMSA's request for assistance, arriving about 5pm. NSW Police boat Nemesis arrived at 6.45pm and rescued all three crew members. An ADF aircraft provided communication support while the rescue was underway. 'This incident is a strong reminder of the importance of carrying a suitable distress beacon while offshore — it may save your life,' an AMSA spokesman said. Originally published as Three sailors rescued from sinking yacht in Coral Sea, 350km east of Brisbane
Sky News AU
12-05-2025
- General
- Sky News AU
Sailors rescued from sinking yacht in Coral Sea, 350km east of Brisbane
Three sailors have been saved from a sinking yacht hundreds of kilometres off the Queensland coast. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) from QLD and Victoria, NSW Police, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and a cargo vessel all responded to help the three crew members, who issued a distress signal about 7am on Sunday. Their 17m yacht was at risk of sinking in the Coral Sea about 350km east of Brisbane after it took on water and experienced electrical problems. The crew used a satellite emergency notification device to alert AMSA. An AMSA spokesman said the agency deployed the Essendon and Cairns-based Challenger rescue aircraft, which arrived at the yacht's location at 10am and 11.30am. The aircraft dropped two life rafts, communication equipment and a dewatering pump to the yacht. Cargo vessel Darya Nitya was nearby and responded to AMSA's request for assistance, arriving about 5pm. NSW Police boat Nemesis arrived at 6.45pm and rescued all three crew members. An ADF aircraft provided communication support while the rescue was underway. 'This incident is a strong reminder of the importance of carrying a suitable distress beacon while offshore — it may save your life,' an AMSA spokesman said. Originally published as Three sailors rescued from sinking yacht in Coral Sea, 350km east of Brisbane
