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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRescuers make contact with crew trapped inside capsized cargo ship.
'Rescuers searching Monday an overturned cargo ship off the Georgia coast say they have drilled into the hull of the Golden Ray and made contact with four crew members missing since Sunday.
"Salvage crews have have made contact with crew members in the #GoldenRay. Conditions unknown. Extraction being planned," the Coast Guard tweeted Monday.
Lt. Lloyd Heflin told the Associated Press that rescuers rappelled down the side of the ship and were trying to determine the safest way to free the missing South Korean crew members. He said rescuers were dealing with a language barrier but that the "early indication is they are on board and OK.'>>>
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/09/09/cargo-ship-rescue-searchers-hear-noises-overturned-boat/2262512001/?
spanone
(135,831 posts)Response to elleng (Original post)
Chin music This message was self-deleted by its author.
2naSalit
(86,600 posts)kind of stuff that I have nightmares about, since childhood.
I hope they can be safely retrieved from the depths.
malaise
(268,993 posts)about Hurricane Dorian. Glad to hear they are alive.
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)electronics or something? Or been sent out without proper equipment? SK itself is very technologically advanced, of course, and its people among the best educated on the planet. ?
A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)So the hurricane was well up the coast by then and shouldn't have had any effect on it at all.
Also, these ships that stop in Brunswick almost always come out of the Panama Canal, cross over and make stops in Jacksonville, Brunswick, Baltimore, Newark and Boston. Tampa has recently (within the last couple years) started servicing car carriers, though Miami does not, as far as any Sat. shot indicates. Some make a stop in Mexico and load there (the city of Heroica Veracruz has a large auto processing/transshipment facility) , then come across the Gulf and start their deliveries.
malaise
(268,993 posts)Remember another cargo ship went down during a storm in 2017 with the entire crew (which was much larger than this one)
A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)I've seen rescuers cutting holes in the hull in a few spots on local news this morning.
Now that they've made contact, I'm sure they'll be ok.
Liberal In Texas
(13,552 posts)Reminds me of the Poseidon Adventure movie.
I wish the crew on the cargo ship lots of luck.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)RORO = "Roll-On Roll-Off"
Here she is in a more upright posture;
The large rectangular structure is a ramp for loading and unloading.
Here is a similar vessel showing the main rear ramp lowered;
These are "Panamax" style vessels in that their square shapes are designed to fit just inside the original locks of the Panama Canal.
I have hauled cars out of the Port of Brunswick, which is at Exit 29 on I-95, about 60 miles north of downtown Jacksonville, FL
Brunswick is strictly automobiles and other RORO equipment/vehicles (includes heavy equipment - track hoes and bulldozers, for instance) and dry bulk like grains and other commodities. No containerized freight is handled at Brunswick. Below is a Google earth shot of the port and parking areas for cars. There is room for probably 100,000 automobiles at that facility.
https://goo.gl/maps/HxXzjw1L9SUfQpB5A
The ship was just leaving and headed for Baltimore, which is also a major automobile import/export facility. These ships make stops all along the east coast, just like a delivery truck might, discharging and loading vehicles along the way.
The fact that she is on her side means that virtually all the vehicles left onboard are surely a total loss, as they would not be able to stay put, even though they are lashed down.
These ships can carry as many as 7000 vehicles, depending on the size of the cars. They are complex vessels as well, some with the individual decks being adjustable for height/clearance. In other words, you could load a deck with all similar sedans and then lower the next deck above down to the point of say...just 12" of clearance above the roofs. Then you could load higher profile units on that upper deck.
I'm not a Merchant Seaman, by any means, but I am somewhat familiar with how these vessels are loaded and it looks clear to me that she was top heavy. Too many heavy units on upper decks and no weight or ballast below.
I'm betting this will be operator error. The blame will fall squarely on the captains shoulders. It's his boat and he cast off and went to sea with an obviously dangerous, unsafe condition. Scores of these types of vessels safely dock at Brunswick annually, so this type of incident is not common, though certainly not unheard of.
Here's a video of the inside of one of these ships showing how the vehicles are parked and tied down;
This is what happens in heavy seas when the vehicles get loose;
hunter
(38,311 posts)Cars are fragile things.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)There is footage of a loaded deck of cars where a couple break loose, and it's like a giant billiard ball is rolling around!
I looked for it but didn't spot the YouTube vid that shows what is pretty amazing destruction. I understand "No one goes below" is the order when that shit happens.
There was one fully loaded with Volvo's that went down outside Rotterdam back in 2003. They way they got it up off the bottom was pretty amazing;
hunter
(38,311 posts)My parents used to know a diver who did that kind of work, mostly for the oil companies. He was paid VERY well and spent most of the free time traveling the world.
I hope he saved some money, retired, and lived happily ever after, but I'm a little afraid to ask.
A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)Yes, those salvage divers DO make good bucks, but it is obviously very dangerous work. Think of how many hours were collectively spent by the divers working on the Costa Concordia!
yortsed snacilbuper
(7,939 posts)A HERETIC I AM
(24,368 posts)Like I said, scores of these vessels dock at that port, and for that matter, ports all over the world, on a daily basis with no incident.
When you see them underway, they do look top heavy and their massive flat sides catch a lot of wind, but still.......
"Somebody fucked up here", I would think is a fair statement..