CS Caprice Rescue Operations
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Rescue from the Boats of Death (UNHCR) CS Caprice 22 nd Oct 2014 , the day which will be deeply cherished in the hearts of the crew of CS CAPRICE.CS Caprice loaded 27000 MT of Barley in bulk at Liepaja ,Latvia and was heading to her destination Umm said, Qatar via Suez canal. On a gloomy afternoon of 22 nd Oct 2014, 510 people on a boat which was in distress found a ray of hope. At 1352 LT we received distress signal through SAT‐C from Malta RCC stating that a boat carrying about 400 to 500 people are in distress and require to immediately proceed to the said position.(34 35 N/ 020 05 E).I verified the phone no of Malta Rcc given in the distress message , just to confirm that it’s not a plot made by pirates. After verifying the phone , I contacted Malta RCC and confirmed the distress message and was advised to proceed to the location and take all people on board as the weather was getting boisterous with beau fort scale 8 to 9. We had to deviate from our voyage to accomplish this herculean task of rescuing a whopping number of lives in distress At Sea.In the meanwhile I contacted our owners Campbell Shipping, and our management made it very clear that we have to save the lives of all the people who are in distress. Their vision towards the rescue operation was clear and concise. My owners gave me full back up to the needful and to go ahead with the rescue operation. They never even gave a second thought .Thus the positive support from my owners and the crew onboard became the driving force and the urge to save lives become our motto. They were mixed feelings when the crew expressed their fears about Ebola, about the security threat to our own crew on board. Now it was time for me to motivate the crew and to set in a positive attitude. I tried my level best to give them the confidence and the courage to go ahead as a team to accomplish this operation. The sun was setting to call it of a day as we reached the position close to the boat which was in distress. The weather was getting bad and windy. Getting the boat alongside our vessel was a serious task as the boat was overhanging with people all around. Since the wind was from star‐ board side I thought of taking the advantage of wind to get the boat alongside. We started maneuvering our vessel so as to have the boat on our starboard ie the leeward side of the boat keeping safe distance .The wind was pushing the boat towards us but was heading towards the propeller. The people on board were frightful As they were heading towards the propeller. The only way to make it to the parallel body was to give a kick astern. We did it and we had the boat abreast No 5 hatch starboard side alongside. Our crew and officers were geared up with protective clothing’s as a preventive measure to Ebola. The pilot ladder was rigged as the freeboard was too
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Rescue operation
Transcript of CS Caprice Rescue Operations
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RescuefromtheBoatsofDeath(UNHCR)CSCaprice
22ndOct2014,thedaywhichwillbedeeplycherishedintheheartsofthecrewofCSCAPRICE.CSCapriceloaded27000MTofBarleyinbulkatLiepaja,LatviaandwasheadingtoherdestinationUmmsaid,QatarviaSuezcanal.Onagloomyafternoonof22ndOct2014,510peopleonaboatwhichwasindistressfoundarayofhope.At1352LTwereceiveddistresssignalthroughSATCfromMaltaRCCstatingthataboatcarryingabout400to500peopleareindistressandrequiretoimmediatelyproceedtothesaidposition.(3435N/02005E).IverifiedthephonenoofMaltaRcc given in the distressmessage , just to confirm that its not a plotmadebypirates.Afterverifyingthephone,IcontactedMaltaRCCandconfirmedthedistressmessageandwasadvisedtoproceedtothelocationandtakeallpeopleonboardastheweatherwasgettingboisterouswithbeaufortscale8to9.Wehadtodeviatefromourvoyagetoaccomplishthisherculeantaskofrescuingawhoppingnumberof lives indistressAtSea.In themeanwhile I contactedourownersCampbellShipping, andourmanagementmade itveryclearthatwehavetosavethelivesofallthepeoplewhoareindistress.Theirvisiontowardstherescueoperationwasclearandconcise.Myownersgavemefullbackuptotheneedfulandtogoaheadwiththerescueoperation.Theyneverevengaveasecondthought.Thusthepositivesupportfrommyownersandthecrewonboardbecamethedrivingforceandtheurgetosavelivesbecomeourmotto.TheyweremixedfeelingswhenthecrewexpressedtheirfearsaboutEbola,aboutthesecuritythreattoourowncrewonboard.Nowitwastimeformetomotivatethecrewandtosetinapositiveattitude.Itriedmylevelbesttogivethemtheconfidenceandthecouragetogoaheadasateamtoaccomplishthisoperation.The sunwas setting to call it of a day aswe reached the position close to the boatwhichwas in distress. Theweatherwas getting bad andwindy. Getting the boat alongside our vessel was a serious task as the boat wasoverhangingwithpeopleallaround.SincethewindwasfromstarboardsideIthoughtoftakingtheadvantageofwindtogettheboatalongside.Westartedmaneuveringourvesselsoastohavetheboatonourstarboardietheleeward side of the boat keeping safe distance .The wind was pushing the boat towards us but was headingtowardsthepropeller.ThepeopleonboardwerefrightfulAstheywereheadingtowardsthepropeller.Theonlywaytomakeittotheparallelbodywastogiveakickastern.WediditandwehadtheboatabreastNo5hatchstarboardsidealongside.OurcrewandofficersweregearedupwithprotectiveclothingsasapreventivemeasuretoEbola.Thepilotladderwasriggedasthefreeboardwastoo
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less to lower gangway. Andmore over theweatherwas getting choppy and the embarkation through gangwaywould cause fatal accident. The boat was made fast with ships line fore and aft and our crew commencedembarkationofthepeopleindistress.FirstlyOurcrewhelpedingettingtheladiesandkidsonboard.Outofthemabouttenladieswerepregnantandfewmothershavinginfants.aswecompletedembarkingladiesandthenitwasthemensturntogetontothevessel.IttookcouplehourstosafelyembarkallthepeopleonboardCSCAPRICE,Thelonesavioronthehighseas.Ourcrewusedtheirfullstrengthtoliterallylifttheladiesandkidsasitwasnoteasyforthemtoclimbthepilotladder. I could see our team though exhausted, drenching never complained andwere happy to serve. No onebotherednor cribbedabout the resthours,butwereonandon to their fullest todo theneedful.Thecookwasreadywiththehotteainalargevesseltryingtokeepthepeoplewarmandthestewardwithmilkpacketsforthebabiesandkids.IlearntthatGodwassomercifulthatassoonaswehadthelastpersonandwhenwewereaboutthecastoftheboat,Theseabecameferocious,shippingseasalloverthestbdside.Theladiesweregivenshelterinthe forecastle storeandmenwereasked to stay inmasthouses.Asour chief officerwas taking roundhe cameacrossladieswhowerepregnantandfewmotherswithinfants.Astheforecastlewasovercrowdedwedecidedtogive the Suez room and the tally room for these ladieswhowere finding it difficult to carry themselves in theforecastlestore.WeinformedtheMaltaRCCthatthemissionhasbeenaccomplishedand510peopletakenonboardwithoutanyinjuries.Navwarningwassentregardingtheboatadrift.MaltaRCCadvisedustoproceedtowardsSicily.Hencewebeganourpassagetowardsthedestinationwhichwouldbeconfirmedthenextday.Anhourlateroncommencementofourpassage,crewservedthickporridgemadeofriceandgrams,asservingthewholeguestswasnotaeasytask.Wemadebatchesinordertoservethepeople,whiletheotherhalfwenttorest.Wemadesurenowasondeckastheseawasroaringin,floodingtheentiremaindeck.As I was closing to our destination, faced a medical emergency while a Syrian lady was gasping for breath.Immediately was given oxygen and checked her pulse, blood pressure and temperature. The BP and her bodytemperaturewashigh.WhileIcouldseehergaspingforbreaththroughtheoxygenmask,rushedtocallupCIRMRomatoseekmedicaladvice.Asperthesuggestionhadtoinjecthydrocortisone100mg.Hervitalsymptomswerecontinuouslymonitoreduntilshewasfinallyairliftedbythechopper.UNITY IS STRENGHT iswhatwe learnt and experienced. If notwith this teamwork,wewouldnt been able toaccomplishthishumungoustask.ThevesselwasberthedinAugusta,Italyon25thOct2014at0000hrs.Thewholeoperationtookalmost60hours.ThankstomyteamonboardandCampbellshippingmanagementforthesupport.MasterCSCandyCapt.JoshuaPerisBhatt
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NotefromManagingDirector:Sent29thOct2014DearCapt.BhattandOneTeamCampbellteammembersaboardCSCaprice.It iswith great gratitude and Pride that Iwrite to expressmy sincerely thank for thewonderful humanitarianrescueandserviceofferedtothe510distressedmen,womenandchildren.Your combined efforts, have demonstrated, that magnificent things can be accomplished when a team workstogetherforthecommongood.Capt.,you,theofficersandcrewoftheCSCaprice,throughyourefforts,havegivingtheentireOneTeamCampbellfamilyanopportunitytoreflectonthegreatvalueandprivilegeoflife;andfurther,areasontobeeversoproud.Thankyouallandmayyouvoyageseverbeundergirdedinsafety.BestregardsChandlerT.Sands|ManagingDirectorCampbellShippingCompanyLtd.NotefromManagement:We are extremely pleased to share that 22nd Oct 2014 & CS Caprice Rescue Operation, would always beremembered in theHistory of Campbell Shipping. Thiswas the daywhen the teamof CS Caprice lead by Capt.JoshuaPerisBhattachieveda remarkableaccomplishmentof saving510 livesat sea inachallengingconditionsandfurthermadesurethatall thepersonswere lookedafter&safelydisembarkedat theportofdeviation.Theteamonboardwaspushedtothelimitbothmentallyandphysicallyfordays,howevertheymadesurethatall livesweresavedwithoutanyinjuriesorincidents.Wearegrateful to the teamofCSCapricewho, inreal terms,have flowntheCampbell flaghighwithpride.Theessenceof"SafetyourPriorityExcellenceOurCommitment"wastrulydemonstratedintheiractions.PleasejoinusinapplaudingtheeffortsoftheTeamofCSCaprice.
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Photographs
Fishingboatwith510people FishingBoatAlongside
MasterCommunicatingwithRescueCoordinationCentre/FishingBoat
Women,ChildrenandMentakenonboard
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Women,ChildrenandMentakenonboard
510refugeestakingshelterfromRoughWeatherConditions
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RoughWeatherConditions
FeedingtheChildrenMedicalAttentionontheship
RefugeewithCriticalConditionHelicopterEvacuationofCriticalillRefugee
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FirstAidtendered
Feeding510peopleWomen&ChildrenkeptinsidedueRoughWeather
HelicopterEvacuationofCriticalillRefugee
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TeamofCSCaprice
