Calamity at Port
Durnford
Acting Principal
Officer of SAMSA
Durban - Wayne
Stephen and exercise
‘referee’ - John
Abercrombie answer
questions at the
report back session
dsamsa1
Richards Bay Harbour
Master - Ravi
Naicker explains the
Port’s responses,
with uMhlathuze City
Acting Fire Chief -
Andy Spies also
geared to enlarge on
the City’s disaster
management plan
dmamba2
Dave
Savides
THE Panamanian
container vessel
‘Calamity’ ran
aground off Port
Durnford early
Tuesday morning,
spilling oil
dangerously close to
the uMlalazi
sanctuary.
Carrying hazardous
cargo including four
containers of
explosives, the ship
reportedly suffered
engine failure and
ran aground without
sending a Mayday
call.
The South African
Maritime Safety
Authority (SAMSA),
which has taken
charge of
proceedings, is on
the scene and is
hoping that the
vessel will be towed
off the sand bank at
the next high tide
around 4pm.
The above is not
true - but such
situations could
well occur at any
time along the
Zululand coastline.
At a meeting of lead
role players in
Richards Bay on
Tuesday, the
scenario was
presented to test
the reaction and
response of the
various agencies
involved in maritime
incidents.
They included SAMSA,
the Department of
Environmental
Affairs, City and
District
municipalities,
SAPS, Customs,
shipping companies,
the National Ports
Authority, salvors,
insurers,
representatives of
the ship’s owners
and others.
The workshop was
presided over by
‘referee’ John
Abercrombie,
recently retired
after 24 years as a
SAMSA surveyor.
He threw in a few
‘curve balls’ during
the mock exercise,
such as the ship
owner having limited
insurance liability,
which raised issues
of funding the
salvage and clean-up
operation.
After the role
players devised
their plans of
action, each had to
report back and
their responses were
analysed.
A press conference
was called where
Zululand Observer
and Mercury
reporters asked the
‘hard questions’ to
test communication
lines.
The entire
educational exercise
- reminiscent of the
‘real thing’ when
the Jolly Rubino
grounded near St
Lucia - went off
smoothly, with a
number of valuable
lessons learned.
