- Speaker #0
Welcome to Global SAR Hub Mission Ready, the podcast for professionals and passionate minds in maritime and aerial search and rescue and beyond. Every two weeks, we bring you the tools, insights, and real-world stories that shape the future of SAR. From satellite alerts to on-scene coordination from emerging tech to human experience, we make complex topics clear and life-saving knowledge accessible. Let's dive into today's episode.
- Speaker #1
Welcome to Global SAR Hub podcast, Mission Ready. Today, we follow the rescue operations that unfolded after the sinking of the Bourbon Road.
- Speaker #2
This is the second part, focusing on the massive search and rescue effort.
- Speaker #1
An operation defined by its, well, sheer scale and the incredibly difficult circumstances.
- Speaker #2
Absolutely. After those final messages on September 26th, the alert was immediate.
- Speaker #1
And the MRCC in Fort-de-France, Martinique, they spearheaded the coordination.
- Speaker #2
They did. They took... the lead their first contact being the merchant vessel ssi excellent which was uh quite a distance away wasn't it about 200 nautical miles south but they were the first vessel contacted to assist it shows how quickly the system activates and it wasn't just civilian ships from the start no the french navy got involved very quickly signaled the seriousness right away which points to the international scope you mentioned exactly you had madrid which actually received the initial distress signals. Okay. Then Stavanger in Norway and... the Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Miami, all playing key roles.
- Speaker #1
So multiple nations, multiple centers coordinating?
- Speaker #2
Yes, sharing information, mobilizing resources. It really demonstrates how these international protocols work in practice. Years of refinement there.
- Speaker #1
And this active search? It went on for quite some time.
- Speaker #2
Sixteen days. A sustained effort showing real commitment.
- Speaker #1
The number of assets involved is quite something.
- Speaker #2
It is. Twenty vessels in total, mostly merchant ships, rerouted. Think about that commercial traffic diverted for the SAR effort. A huge contribution.
- Speaker #1
And aerial support, too.
- Speaker #2
Significant aerial support. 15 flights overall. French Navy assets like the Dassault Falcon 50.
- Speaker #1
And U.S. involvement.
- Speaker #2
Yes. Crucial U.S. support. NOAA's P-3 Hurricane Hunter, which is just invaluable in these conditions with its specialized equipment.
- Speaker #1
Right. Designed to fly into hurricanes.
- Speaker #2
Precisely. And a U.S. Coast Guard C-130 Hercules as well. extending the search capability significantly.
- Speaker #1
But even with all that, the ocean's vast, especially mid-hurricane.
- Speaker #2
Immense challenges. And that's where organizations like EMSA, the European Maritime Safety Agency, also came in.
- Speaker #1
How did they contribute?
- Speaker #2
With satellite imagery analysis. Trying to spot anything, debris, survivors from orbit. It's that integrated approach, sea, air, space, that's vital.
- Speaker #1
You mentioned those first 48 hours were critical, but the weather. Still Hurricane Lorenzo.
- Speaker #2
Exceptionally difficult conditions. You can only imagine what the crews of the SSI Excellent and the Pete Faced heading into that storm's path towards the last known position.
- Speaker #1
Was there anything guiding them initially?
- Speaker #2
There was. The Bourbon Road's EPIRB, the emergency position indicating radio beacon, it kept transmitting.
- Speaker #1
A beacon of hope, quite literally.
- Speaker #2
It was, yes. A crucial navigational point for the search teams in those chaotic early hours.
- Speaker #1
But that signal didn't last indefinitely.
- Speaker #2
No, it stopped transmitting on September 30th. That would have been a very worrying moment for everyone involved.
- Speaker #1
A setback.
- Speaker #2
Definitely. But two days before that, on the 28th, there was a positive development. The weather started to improve somewhat.
- Speaker #1
Okay, bit of a break in the storm.
- Speaker #2
Winds dropped, visibility got better, and the bulk carrier, Eric, was designated the on-scene coordinator, the OSC.
- Speaker #1
Managing the search grid on-site.
- Speaker #2
Correct. And then, really remarkable news broke.
- Speaker #1
The first breakthrough.
- Speaker #2
Yes, the peat located And a life raft. It was capsized.
- Speaker #1
It capsized. No, no, no.
- Speaker #2
Incredibly, during a lull, the survivors inside managed to right it themselves. An extraordinary feat of resilience.
- Speaker #1
Amazing. And the PEDE rescued them.
- Speaker #2
They did. Pulled three men from the water, Dmytro Marchenko and Yevgeny Nikolov, both Ukrainian, and Igor Morozov, who was Russian.
- Speaker #1
Alive, but how were they?
- Speaker #2
Exhausted, as you'd expect, but alive. And they confirmed the sinking happened around noon on the 26th.
- Speaker #1
importantly.
- Speaker #2
They confirmed the crew had donned life jackets. Critical information.
- Speaker #1
But their survival came with devastating news, too.
- Speaker #2
Terribly sad news. They reported that five men initially made it to the raft.
- Speaker #1
Oh, no.
- Speaker #2
But two, Oleksandr and Zinja, were lost to the storm's fury. Swept away. It just highlights the brutality of the condition.
- Speaker #1
Unimaginable. And other sightings happened that day, too, the 28th.
- Speaker #2
Yes, it was a significant day. The P-3 Hurricane Hunter aircraft spotted a capsized life jacket. boat and tragically a body in the water. The SSI excellent also picked up the Bourbon Road's EPIRB signal pinpointing its location and another ship The Moran Triton located the body seen by the P-3, though they couldn't recover it immediately because of the conditions.
- Speaker #1
So a day of hope and also confirmation of loss. The search pressed on.
- Speaker #2
Relentlessly. From the 29th through to October 1st, the intensity remained high, and more resources arrived.
- Speaker #1
Including naval assets.
- Speaker #2
Yes. The French frigate Ventos arrived on scene.
- Speaker #1
And took over coordination.
- Speaker #2
It did, becoming the new OSC. And its Panther helicopter with divers, that became a really key asset.
- Speaker #1
For recovery operations.
- Speaker #2
Exactly. The helicopter's capabilities were crucial. The Pete recovered one deceased individual. Okay. The Ventosi's helicopter recovered two more bodies shortly after. And then a fourth body was located and recovered by helicopter on October 1st.
- Speaker #1
So four recovered in total by that point.
- Speaker #2
Yes. Also on October 1st, the capsized lifeboat seen earlier was recovered by the vessel Navigate Guard.
- Speaker #1
And the three survivors.
- Speaker #2
They were transferred from the Peet. to the Ventos, better medical facilities there.
- Speaker #1
Understandable. But as time went on, the outlook must have changed.
- Speaker #2
It inevitably did. From October 2nd to the 11th, the search continued across this vast area. But the probability of finding more survivors, well, it decreased with every hour.
- Speaker #1
A difficult reality for the search team.
- Speaker #2
Very difficult. They continued methodical searches, aircraft and ships combing the area. But on October 5th, MRCC Fort de France made the call.
- Speaker #1
To suspend the active search.
- Speaker #2
Yes, suspend active operations. Though they kept broadcasting vigilance messages, asking ships to keep a lookout.
- Speaker #1
Was that the definitive end?
- Speaker #2
There was actually a brief resumption. On October 7th, the vessel ALP Striker reported seeing a distress flare. Oh,
- Speaker #1
so they restarted.
- Speaker #2
They did restart an active search briefly based on that report, but unfortunately nothing was found.
- Speaker #1
So no further trace.
- Speaker #2
No. And so on October 12th, 16 days after the Bourbon Road sank, The active SAR operation officially concluded.
- Speaker #1
A long and arduous operation. And the final toll.
- Speaker #2
Three survivors rescued, four deceased recovered, and seven crew members remain missing, presumed lost at sea. A terrible human cost.
- Speaker #1
And the search area itself, just to grasp the scale.
- Speaker #2
The initial area planned by MRCC Fort France was already huge, over 73,000 square kilometers.
- Speaker #1
That's enormous.
- Speaker #2
But the actual area covered by the ships and aircraft involved ended up being even larger. Over 109,000 square kilometers searched. It speaks volumes about the dedication involved.
- Speaker #1
When the survivors arrived back on land in Fort de France.
- Speaker #2
That was October 6th. They immediately received medical attention and, of course, psychological support, critically important after what they endured.
- Speaker #1
And they were able to provide accounts of what happened.
- Speaker #2
Yes. They were interviewed by investigators from Luxembourg's AET. the technical investigation body, and judicial authorities. Their testimonies were vital.
- Speaker #1
What did they report about the ship itself?
- Speaker #2
They described some recurring technical issues, leaks specifically around the shark jaws inspection covers on deck, and also the engine room hatch panel.
- Speaker #1
Water ingress issues. Yes.
- Speaker #2
And they also mentioned problems with false water detection alarms. These accounts obviously became crucial for understanding the lead up to the disaster.
- Speaker #1
And they recounted the ordeal on the raft.
- Speaker #2
They did. That desperate struggle for survival. And the heartbreaking loss of their two crewmates, Oleksandr and Zanya, to the waves, it brings a very human, very stark perspective to the whole event.
- Speaker #1
Absolutely. It really underlines the dangers out there and the immense effort involved in Tsar.
- Speaker #2
It does. The Bourbon Road operation, despite the tragic outcome for many, really stands as a testament to that international cooperation and the sheer determination to save lives at sea against incredible odds.
- Speaker #1
This detailed look really brings home the scale and complexity of such a major maritime SAR event. The coordination, the resources, the human element.
- Speaker #2
And you know, that rapid international response, even facing a hurricane, it directly led to those three survivors being found. It underscores why these protocols and the bravery of the rescuers are so absolutely vital.
- Speaker #1
We'll be back soon with another major SAR operation or topic clear, accessible. Thanks for listening.
- Speaker #0
That's it for today's episode of Global SAR Hub Mission Ready. This podcast is an independent initiative by Global SAR Hub built by and for the search and rescue community. If you enjoyed this episode, consider supporting us by leaving a five star rating and a quick review on your favorite platform, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you're listening. You can also follow us on LinkedIn at Global SAR Hub or visit our website, GlobalSARHub.com. Thanks for tuning in and see you next time.
