Injured crew from Southern Ocean vessel transferred to US ship

11 January 2012 - 10.15PM

The Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) has confirmed that injured crew from the burning Korean vessel Jeong Woo 2 have been transferred to the United States research vessel Nathaniel B Palmer.

Two crew members are understood tohave extensive burn injuries and a further five crew have less serious burns, RCCNZ says.

The 51 metre fishing vessel Jeong Woo 2 caught fire in the Ross Sea about 2000 nautical miles (3704 kilometres) southeast of New Zealand and about 600 kilometres north-northeast of McMurdo Base.

A number of vessels responded to the vessel’s distress call, issued in the early hours of Wednesday morning (NZDT). The call was picked up by another Korean fishing vessel, Hong Jin 707, and relayed to RCCNZ by the New Zealand vessel Antarctic Chieftain just before 3am (NZDT) on 11 January.

The Korean fishing vessels Jeong Woo 3 and Hong Jin 707 evacuated crew from the Jeong Woo 2. Three crew members are still missing and believed to have died in a fire in the vessel’s accommodation block.

Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Geoff Lunt said the Nathaniel B Palmer reported on Wednesday evening that the vessel was well alight from bow to stern, but still on an even keel.

The Nathaniel B Palmer has medical staff and facilities on board to assess the injured crew’s medical needs. The vessel is now sailing to McMurdo Base, where the injured seamen will be put ashore for treatment. The voyage is expected to take between 24 and 30 hours, depending on ice and weather conditions.