Odfjell and Ceres provide documents to Coast Guard; memorial fund established for dead and missing seamen.
Norfolk, VA: March 12 - The owners and managers of the Bow Mariner today gave 1,043 pages of documents to the U.S. Coast Guard to comply with the Federal agency's request for information about the ship, its safety systems and crew.
All told, there were more than 16 separate sets of records, files and manuals given to the Coast Guard. They include Vessel Particulars, Safety Management System, Fire Control Plan, Inert Gas System Operations Manual, and copies of the crew's licenses and training certificates. Most of the documents have been sent to Norfolk by courier.
"We are fully complying with the Coast Guard's request for documentation," said Captain Michael B. Shuker, Director of Safety, Security and Compliance of Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises, Ltd., the vessel's managers.
In a joint statement, Odfjell and Ceres expressed their appreciation to all of the agencies and private contractors who are involved in the response effort.
"We would like to thank the Coast Guard for their rapid response to the accident and the rescue of six seamen," the statement said.
"The human cost of the casualty would have been much greater had it not been for the prompt response and courage of the Coast Guard. Indeed, the action of rescue swimmer Dave Foreman who went into the water to rescue one of the seamen under hazardous conditions was heroic."
The Bow Mariner sank 50 miles off the Virginia coast on February 28. The Coast Guard is conducting an investigation into the causes of the sinking on behalf of Singapore, the vessel's country of registry.
In a related development, owner's representatives have been in direct contact with Singapore in an effort to aid and help expedite the investigation.
Given the serious nature of the incident, the surviving crewmembers have retained lawyers to protect their interests. To date, the crewmembers have relied on their right to remain silent.
Meanwhile, if the weather permits, the 226-foot offshore supply vessel Powhatan will return to the site of the sunken tanker on Saturday to retrieve floating mooring lines and other debris from the site.
The Powhatan was unable to launch its ROV (remotely controlled vehicle) on Tuesday because of heavy swells. The site continues to be monitored for signs of pollution.
The task of making a detailed video survey of the seabed around the sunken tanker to locate missing crew members will be handled by the 252.64-foot Mystic Viking, a dynamic-positioned diving support vessel, scheduled to arrive on Saturday. The Mystic Viking's equipment includes a more capable ROV than the one carried by the Powhatan.
"If any of the missing seamen are found, they will be handled with great dignity and brought to the surface with the utmost care," said Jesse Lewis, a spokesman for Ceres.
Another mission of the Mystic Viking is to determine the condition of the sunken ship and to ascertain if there are any recoverable amounts of ethanol or fuel oil. Its ROV will take still and video photographs of the vessel and the surrounding area and search for missing crew members.
Mystic Viking will also have on board an array of high-tech gear including flexible hoses and pumps that can be inserted into the sunken vessel¹s tanks to remove cargo or fuel without harming the environment.
After the video survey has been reviewed, a recovery plan will be formulated and submitted to the Coast Guard for approval.
Memorial Fund Established
Odfjell and Ceres are in the process of establishing a memorial fund to be used to assist the immediate families of the deceased and missing seamen of Bow Mariner, including financing the education of their children. The fund will be administered by Ernst & Young, an international accounting firm.