Seven workers in distress aboard a tanker have been rescued through the prompt response of the Deep Blue project team of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
The rescue reportedly followed a distress call to the NIMASA Director General, Dr. Bashir Jamoh.
The call, which came in at about 11.30 pm on February 2, 2023, from the safety officer on MT ALIMA, reported that while cleaning the tanks of the vessel by a private cleaning company, eight of the cleaners developed complications due to insufficient oxygen available in the tank to sustain them. The position (coordinates) of the ship at the time of the call was 06*20.9’’N,003*21.9’’E at the single buoy mooring area in Lagos.
A press statement by NIMASA on Saturday said Jamoh “immediately directed the NIMASA Head of the Deep Blue project and Head of the Maritime Safety Department to deploy one of the fast intervention boats for rescue operations and also directed immediate medical attention to the survivors.”
NIMASA took the seven survivors to the military hospital at Ikoyi for medical attention, where they are presently recovering. Five of them are now stable, one has a broken leg while one is still in critical condition.
While reassuring the maritime community of NIMASA’s ever-ready 24-hour vigilance to respond to distress calls using any of the procured air, land and sea assets, the NIMASA Director General urged operators to be meticulous about basic safety standards at all times.
He said those working onboard vessels should update themselves with required training that complies with Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) in line with the revised Manila Convention.
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