A team of coastguards who were associated with the Deep Blue Project, a maritime security outfit that has been funded by the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (the NIMASA), has been able to rescue seven distressed individuals on MT ALIMA, an oil/chemical products tanker that was built back in 2004.
The expert team intervened after a distress call to Dr Bashir Jamoh, the Director General of NIMASA.
The call that came at around 11.30 pm on 2 February from the Safety Officer on MT ALIMA reported that as he was getting the vessel’s tanks cleaned up by a private cleaning firm, eight cleaners resulted in complications owing to insufficient oxygen in the tank for sustaining them.
The vessel’s position when the call was made was 06*20.9’’N, 003*21.9’’E. It was at the single buoy mooring zone in Lagos.
Jamoh directed NIMASA’s Head of the Deep Blue project and Head of the Maritime Safety Department to deploy one of the quick intervention boats essential for rescue operations and immediate medical attention to the survivors.
NIMASA took its seven survivors to a military hospital in Ikoyi for immediate medical attention, where they are recovering. Five are stable; one suffers from a broken leg, while another continues to be in critical condition.
While assuring the maritime community about NIMASA’s 24/7 vigilance to promptly respond to distress calls using air, land, or sea assets, Jamoh reportedly urged the operators to be meticulous regarding safety standards all the time.
He further advised that any individual working on board vessels must update themselves with the necessary training that complies with the Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) and is in line with the revised version of the Manila Convention.
Jamoh also thanked the rescue team for the exceptional operation, urging them constantly to keep the maritime tradition of round-the-clock watchkeeping and prompt response.
Source: Marine Insight News
