Master of the oil tanker Freight Margie died on board the ship while it was anchored some seven nautical miles off the Port of Durban on Thursday, South Africa’s National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has said.
NSRI Durban duty crew was alerted that the master collapsed unconscious on board the Italy-flagged vessel.
A sea rescue craft was launched, accompanied by rescue paramedics. Upon their arrival, the ship’s captain, an Italian, was declared dead by paramedics from a suspected heart attack.
The 2004-built tanker was brought into the Port of Durban later that day.
The master of the ship, owned by Vis Tankers Srl, has just completed his contract period and was near to sign off after 5 months on board.
An investigation into the incident has been launched.
The company said that more details will be available following the autopsy, adding that the first response of the rescue team which arrived on board is natural death.
Freight Margie’s AIS data from July 7 shows that the ship departed the port and is currently underway to Walvis Bay in Namibia.
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