‘UMKHUSELI’ ON CALL

In partnership with the Department of Transport and the South African Maritime Safety Authority, AMSOL plays an important role in protecting the Southern African coastline using the Emergency Towing Vessel ‘Umkhuseli’. This vessel, which responds to marine emergencies on call-out, provides critical services including marine emergency response, safety standby, rescue towage, search and rescue, environmental protection, and salvage. Marine emergency response support is supplemented by the ‘Siyanda’ which has provided assistance out of Durban during numerous incidents this year.

Recent operations conducted by experienced Masters, Officers, and Crew and support teams include:

June: The tug safely escorted the FPSO ‘Atlanta’ from East London to Cape Town and also towed the general cargo vessel ‘Industrial Skipper’ into the Port of Cape Town, showcasing the team’s versatility and expertise.

August: Mobilized from Cape Town, the ‘Umkhuseli‘ executed an emergency tow of the bulk carrier ‘Iolcos Dignity’ to Durban after engine failure left her stranded 70 nautical miles off of East London. The tug ‘Siyanda’ assisted in the operation.

September: The ‘Umkhuseli’ provided towing assistance from Mossel Bay to Cape Town to a tug following an onboard fire. The vessel was inspected and safely secured with the support of a salvage team prior to the tow. The ‘Umkhuseli’ then assisted the bulk carrier ‘Antwerp Eagle’ with an emergency standby operation during engine immobilization off of Mossel Bay.

October: The ‘Umkhuseli’ was dispatched to provide support following an onboard fire involving a fishing vessel located south of Cape Agulhas. On arrival at the scene, it was evident that the vessel had sunk following the safe evacuation of crew the previous day.