On 6th September, Swire Pacific Offshore’s Platform Supply Vessel (“PSV”), Pacific-Guillemot, rescued 16 fishermen who were drifting in life rafts off the coast of Angola, following the sinking of their vessel, Onda Mar. The rescued men were later handed over to authorities at Sonils Base, Luanda. The rescue required the PSV’s crew to mitigate a number of potential risks involved in bringing the castaways on board, including increased reports of pirate attacks in the area, and the necessity of conforming in as far as possible with COVID-19 protocols while carrying out the exercise. Once on board, there was also a language barrier to be overcome, in order to communicate with the Portuguese-speaking fishermen, and Google Translate came into its own.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore later commended Pacific-Guillemot’s Master, Captain Mark Hart, and his crew for their outstanding professionalism.
