AEOLIAN ARROW - Very Serious Maritime casualty
Vessel: AEOLIAN ARROW
GAMA reference: 2026-457
Data da ocorrência acidental: 15-10-2026
Casualty Event: Fall overboard
Summary
On 15 October 2026, the Portuguese-flagged vessel AEOLIAN ARROW was designated by MRCC Rio de Janeiro as the On-Scene Coordinator for the SAR operation to rescue the 28 crew members of the Singapore-flagged vessel ESPIRITO SANTO EXPRESS.
AEOLIAN ARROW rescued 19 crew members from a lifeboat and nine from a liferaft. Following completion of the rescue, while recovering the rescue boat used by the Portuguese vessel during the SAR operation, the sea, swell and current caused the boat to move abruptly, resulting in the chief officer of AEOLIAN ARROW falling overboard. The rescue boat was subsequently swamped and lost.
Several recovery attempts were made using lifebuoys with lines attached and a cargo net rigged to hoist the chief officer on board. However, during the recovery attempts, the chief officer repeatedly lost the ability to maintain a hold on the rescue equipment. The chief officer subsequently disappeared beneath the surface and could not be recovered.
State
Safety investigation initiated
Data, information and interview gathering phase
Analysis of the information and decision on the scope of the investigation
Drafting of the investigation report
Circulation of the investigation report
Final Report Published