The Apostleship of the Sea (AoS), a CSAN member charity, provided support to a group of seafarers after their colleague fell ill on board and had to be airlifted to hospital last Friday.
A bulk carrier, HC Jette Marit, was stationed four miles east of Sunderland when its chief engineer suffered a possible heart attack on board and the alarm was raised, prompting a dramatic rescue at sea.
AoS Port of Tyne chaplain Paul Atkinson received a tip-off about the incident and contacted AoS Sunderland ship visitor Sr Mary Scholastica, who boarded the ship to assist the crew as soon as it docked at Sunderland Port.
“The crew members were a bit anxious and worried about their colleague but otherwise they were fine. They were grateful someone had taken the time to visit them and offer support if needed,” said Sr Scholastica said.
Seafarers work and live together within confined spaces, often for long durations of time. Incidents like this one can trigger stress and anxiety, making it all the more important that they are supported not only practically but emotionally.
Separately, AoS Plymouth port chaplain Ann Donnelly has expressed relief after seven seafarers were rescued from their sinking ship, Fluvius Tamar, off Ramsgate on the Kent coast over the weekend.
The Fluvius Tamar and its sister ship Fluvius Axe are regular visitors to ports in the South West of Britain and their crews are well known to Ann and her ship visitors.
“Thank God they were all rescued safely. Incidents like this highlight the dangers that seafarers constantly encounter while doing their jobs bringing us the goods and necessities we buy.”
The views expressed in this blog are not CSAN policy.