The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has requested Mr Andre Botes - MRCC Cape Town Head of Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR) Operations, to chair a Working Group for the IMO Communications subcommittee for SAR. Mr Botes has been involved in Search and Rescue operations in South Africa for 39 years and his distinguished career includes coordinating the search for the SAA Boeing "Helderberg" and being senior SAR co-ordination for the passenger liner the "Oceanos", for which he received … [Read more...]
South African MRCC Heads IMO SAR Sub-committee
4 February, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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MRCC co-ordinates Medical Evacuation of 2 Crewmen
8 December, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Over the past few days the Maritime Rescue and Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) has been involved in evacuating crewmembers from two vessels. On Friday the 4th December at 15h49 the master of a vessel, which was only 18 nautical miles off Cape Town, contacted the MRCC requesting a medical evacuation for a crewmember with symptoms resembling a mild stroke. The vessel diverted to Cape Town port and the MRCC co-coordinated the evacuation with the Metro Rescue services and the ships agent to transfer … [Read more...]
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MRCC South Africa attends COSPAS-SARSAT meeting in Canada
6 December, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The international Cospas-Sarsat programme provides distress and location data to help Search and Rescue (SAR) authorities assist people in distress in the shortest time possible, which directly impacts on the survival rate of the person in distress at sea or on land. To discuss and achieve this objective, Cospas-Sarsat participants (of which South Africa is one) recently held a meeting in Canada. Under discussion were the operational issues of implementation, maintenance and co-ordination … [Read more...]
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Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre gears up for 2010
6 December, 2009 By Leave a Comment
The Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) recently ran a planning exercise for Search and Rescue (SAR) at their Cape Town offices. The aim of the exercise was to test the operational readiness of the MRCC to respond to any emergency situations that may arise with the expected increased number of ships that are expected to be operating within our waters over the next year as part of the preparations and also accommodation for the 2010 soccer world cup. The exercise focused on a search … [Read more...]
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MRCC Cape Town Assists Yacht That Runs Aground off Madagascar
6 May, 2009 By
The importance of having communication with family or friends when at sea was once again highlighted recently. Earlier this month the Mossel Bay Harbour Master contacted the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) in Cape Town about a phone call that he had received from the wife of the skipper regarding an incident off the coast of Madagascar. The skipper of the yacht had contacted his wife via his SatPhone informing her that his yacht, the Erica, had run aground off the west coast … [Read more...]
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