The Justice Department announced that the Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the 'Dali', have agreed to pay $102m to resolve a civil claim brought by the US five weeks ago for costs borne in responding to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. A host of other court cases was ongoing. The settlement does not include any damages for the reconstruction of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The state of Maryland built, owned, maintained, and operated the bridge, and attorneys on the state’s behalf filed their own claim for those damages. The settlement is only a small part of the massive legal claims the owners and operators are facin for the allision. Other cases include suits filed by the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and families of the victims plus a number of businesses who lost money from the supply chain chaos that followed the accident. While Grace Ocean and Synergy have sought to cap their liabilities to just $43.67m, Maryland’s attorney general, Anthony Brown, has said he will seek a far higher figure in damages. The 'Dali' is actually underway to a ship repair base in the Fujian province with an ETA as of Nov 8.
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SUPER SHUTTLE RORO 2
The Philippine Coast Guard secured the 'Super Shuttle Roro 2' on Oct 23, 2024, as a “dead vessel” that drifted toward the port of Batangas after it got detached from its anchor due to strong winds and rough sea conditions. The Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) in Batangas informed the PCG District Southern Tagalog that the ferry was spotted approaching the port at around 4:30 p.m. The ship, whose main engine was not operational, had only three crewmembers on board when the incident occurred. The vessel was scheduled for drydocking and has been anchored in the waters off Bauan since Nov 5, 2023. The PCG and the owner of the 'Super Shuttle Roro 2' deployed a tug to tow and secure the vessel. Report with video: https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/regions/924793/pcg-2-vessels-drift-run-aground-in-batangas-romblon-amid-kristine/story/
ALLURE OF THE SEAS
The search for a 66-year-old female passenger who fell overboard from the 'Allure of the Seas' was called off by the Royal Bahamas Defense Force after 15 hours of searching. The passenger fell ver boarx on the night of Oct 22, 2024, around 17 miles off of Nassau in the Bahamas during a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas that departed on Oct 21. The search for the passenger began as soon as the report of her falling overboard was made, at around 9:40 PM on October 22. The ship quickly turned around and beganthe search. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force and the US Coast Guard were promptly alerted for help. The Royal Bahamas Defense Force and the USGC deployed several resources, including an HC-144 aircraft and an MH-65 helicopter, to search for the missing passenger. However, by late afternoon of the next day, the search and rescue operation having yielded no fruit, the Defense Force stopped requesting assistance from the USGC and suspended the search pending any further developments.
SNS 077
On the morning of Oct 23, a life jacket was spotted in the sea off Calais, and the 'Minck' was deployed to investigate and found a shipwrecked boat. The CROSS Gris-Nez deployed additional resources to search for the castaways: - The all-weather boat SNS 077 Notre Dame de Risban from the SNSM in Calais; - The Dauphin helicopter from the French Navy basein Le Touquet; - A medical team from the mobile emergency and resuscitation structure (SMUR – Maritime) in Boulogne-sur-Mer deployed to Calais. During the SAR operation, 40 shipwrecked people were rescued by the 'Minck' and eight people by the 'SNS 077', who were then transferred aboard the 'Minck'. The 'Minck' recovered 2 unconscious people on board. First aid was immediately given to them. Their deaths were later confirmed by the medical teams in Calais. The other castaways were taken care of by the land rescue services and the border police. At the same time, the other resources deployed continued the search for potential castaways at sea. An investigation was opened by the Boulogne-sur-Mer public prosecutor's office. During the SAR operations off the coast of Calais, a ferry spotted and recovered a man. The unconscious victim was evacuated by the Dauphinhelicopter and transferred to the hospital in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The medical teams were unable to resuscitate him and the victim was declared dead.
MERIKE
The 'Merike' ran aground at Solstrand on the morning of Oct 22, 2024. The police and the main rescue center had not been informed of the incident as of 08:40. The tug 'Borg Parat' was deployed to assist and managed to refloat it Just before 09:00 a.m. and moved it towards the quay at Solstrand. It was not known if the trawler has been damaged.