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SAR operation launched for four Gabonese seafarers after ferry located drifting barge with tug missing
A large-scale rescue operation was launched off the coast of Gabon on May 24, 2026, after the ''Victoria Jet', en route from Port-Gentil to Libreville, spotted a drifting S6-type barge, reg.-no. 'PG 3271' and operated by the company Multitransport Gabon (MTG), at 10.20 a.m. The barge was drifting uncontrolled in the Equatut area off Pointe Ekwata, approximately nine nautical miles from the coastline. It had been towed by the tug 'Ryan' (Reg.No.: L2957 ) and left Cango two days earlier. After a technical stop in Libreville, it had resumed its journey to Port-Gentil. The last radio contact with the tug was on May 24 at 12.07 a.m. The Directorate General of the Merchant Marine immediately activated a crisis response plan in Port-Gentil, through the Maritime Operations Center for State Action at Sea.The four crew members, all Gabonese nationals, were officially listed as missing. The National Navy's Maritime Operations Center was not ruling out the possibility that the sailors may have evacuated the vessel in life rafts. Under the coordination of the Maritime Crisis Center, significant naval and air resources have been deployed to the area. The National Navy's patrol boat 'Ba-Oumar', the tug 'Anitia' and a fast patrol boat from the National Gendarmerie were searching the area in close coordination with the Maritime Affairs authorities. An ALSR maritime patrol aircraft, with a staff officer on board, also flew over the area for more than an hour and a half. So far, no lifeboats or survivors have been spotted from the air. Divers and sonar operators have confirmed that the barge was still afloat, but that the tugboat has sunk. The wreck was resting at a depth of 60 meters in pos. 0°10’129 S 9°0’211 E. In collaboration with the shipowner MTG, a team specialised in deep-sea diving was preparing to intervene as soon as weather conditions permitted in order to inspect the compartments of the submerged tug to determine if any crew members remain trapped inside. Several companies specialising in underwater operations have been contacted to provide technical support for the planned underwater investigations and searches. Among the resources that have been mobilised to find the missing crew were the tug 'Anicia', the French Navy patrol boat 'R66 B5,' a vessel from the National Gendarmerie's Coast Guard Brigade, as well as maritime and aerial surveillance assets. The authorities have also requested support from ships present in the area. Maritime authorities have conducted calculations to precisely define the target area forSAR operations, in accordance with current international procedures. In Libreville, a monitoring and assistance committee has also been established at the Port-Môle maritime health service to support the affected families.
German FRS Group acquires Clipper, plans North American expansion
FRS has acquired a majority interest in Clipper. FRS is a global ferry and shipping group, currently operating 60 vessels in 12 countries, and carrier of more than 7 million passengers and 1.9 million vehicles last year on national and international ferry lines. Clipper, operator of Clipper Vacations, is a recognized company in the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada, offering unique regional travel experiences, including high speed Victoria Clipper ferry services from Seattle to Victoria, and Seattle to San Juan Island, FRS said in a press release. With the acquisition, Clipper will expand its Canadian service with a new hub in Vancouver connecting downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria. With Clipper’s support, FRS will launch a new ferry service from Florida to Cuba, pending government guidance and approval. “This is an exciting day for Clipper, as we are thrilled to join forces with another industry leader,” said Merideth Tall, founder, CEO and Chair of Clipper. “FRS is a company that shares our values and our vision for travel and tourism in North America, and has long-term experience in markets around the world. Combining with FRS will allow us to expand our travel products and services to provide many more options for our customers that will now include Vancouver and Cuba.” Tall will continue in her role as CEO of Clipper, and will expand the Clipper team to support this growth. She will also retain minority ownership of the company. More details regarding the new hubs in Vancouver, Florida and Cuba will be revealed in the coming weeks and months ahead. Terms of the acquisition are not being disclosed. “Clipper and its leadership team plan to leverage FRS’ long history of managing multi-country operation models as we launch our future growth plan. The expansion of operations to Vancouver and Cuba will further benefit both of our Canadian and American destination cities,” said Tall. Both FRS and Clipper are family-owned businesses. FRS has 150 years of experience in the operation of various ferry types and has grown from a regional passenger ferry operator to an internationally active group. FRS operates ferry routes in Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East.
Fire on Seattle ferry
Coast Guard crews escorted the "Victoria Clipper" to Seattle following a reported electrical fire aboard the vessel near Port Townsend on Apr 16, 2015. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound in Seattle received a report from the "Victoria Clipper" of an electrical fire on an anchor windlass in a forward space onboard the vessel around 7:16 p.m. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter "Terrapin", an 87-foot patrol boat homeported in Bellingham, and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles were diverted from a scheduled training exercise to assist. The Washington State Ferry Operation Center was also notified and was ready to divert a vessel to assist if passengers needed to be transferred from the "Victoria Clipper". The USCG units escorted the "Victoria Clipper" to its Seattle pier after the ferry’s crewmembers extinguished the fire aboard the vessel. The Victoria Clipper was carrying 223 passengers from Victoria, B.C., to Seattle at the time of the incident. Seattle Fire Department personnel were standing by at the pier in Seattle to assist the "Victoria Clipper"’s crew, if necessary when it arrived around 9 p.m. The Coast Guard started to investigate the cause of the fire.
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