MOSTAFA B

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Bulk carrier responded to suspected distress situation

The 'Dyna Bulk' responded to a suspected rower in distress on Feb 20, 2022. On Feb 21, the US Coast Guard called off its search of the British rower in the morning, after confirming the accidental activation of the rower’s Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), approximately 360 nautical miles east northeast of Puerto Rico. Jack Jarvis, 28, from Hampshire was rowing across the Atlantic Ocean, from Portugal to Miami, aboard the 23-foot vessel 'Budgie', when the vessel’s EPIRB began transmitting a distress signal in the afternoon of Feb 2ß. Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a report from Virgin Islands SAR in the British Virgin Islands and from the UK MRCC regarding an un-located 406MHz Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon alert. The report further relayed that the emergency contact for the alert confirmed it belonged to the 'Budgie'. The emergency contact also provided a tracking link with the vessel last known position as of 4 p.m. Coast Guard watchstanders issued and Emergency Group Calling to vessel traffic in the area and diverted a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod to search for the 'Budgie'. At 10:52 p.m. AST a Coast Guard HC-144 located the 'Budgie', but was unable to establish contact with Jarvis, despite making multiple attempts on VHF radio, launching flares and completing several low passes over the vessel. The aircrew confirmed the boat’s lights were illuminated and deployed a Self-Locating Datum Marker Buoy (SLDMB), a device used to measure the surface ocean currents that could assist rescue specialists in planning a search for a possible person in the water. The 'Dyna Bulk', en route from Phillipsburg to Jorf Lasfar, also responded to to the Emergency Group Calling and diverted to checkup on the 'Budgie'’s position, while a Coast Guard HC-130 aircraft from Air Station Clearwater, Fla. was also launched to join the search. Coast Guard watchstanders communicated with Jarvis’ support team in the morning of Feb 21 and confirmed he was not in distress and that the EPIRB alert was due to an accidental activation. Watchstanders have established a communications schedule with Jarvis’ support team until he safely reaches his destination in Miami.