CAPE COD – The U.S. Coast Guard is coordinating with the New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing and the Canadian and Portuguese Coast Guards to provide a medical emergency response for crew members following an explosion aboard an international bulk carrier 1,300 miles offshore Cape Cod.
At approximately 7 a.m., the captain of the Marshall Islands-flagged 623-foot bulk carrier Tamar contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard command center reporting an explosion in the ship’s forward storeroom. He also reported the explosion killed one crew member and three suffered massive burns and are in need of immediate medical attention.
The Coast Guard reached out to their partner agencies to coordinate the emergency response. The New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing launched an HC-130 aircrew with six para-rescuers and one combat rescue officer. The air crew is estimated to reach the Tamar at approximately 6:30 p.m. The para-rescuers will jump from their HC-130 with a small boat and advanced life-saving equipment to provide medical treatment for the crew members.
The Canadian Coast Guard has diverted two warships with physician assistants aboard estimated to arrive after midnight.
The fire resulting from the explosion is extinguished and the cause is unknown.
The ship’s engineering plant was unaffected and the crew is continuing on their transit to the Azores, Portugal. Their last port of call was Baltimore.
The First Coast Guard District is responsible for 1,300 miles of offshore search and rescue area. After 1,300 miles, the Portuguese Coast Guard assumes coordination authority for cases east of the boundary.
Update: At approximately 7:45 p.m., Monday, the captain of the Tamar reported another crew member was killed from the explosion.
The New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing para-rescuers arrived on board the Tamar at about 9:30 p.m., after deploying from their HC-130 with two small boats and advanced life-saving equipment. They are staying with the ship until higher medical authority can take over care of the injured crew.
The Portuguese Coast Guard are scheduled to launch a helicopter and pick up the injured crew members and bring them to Ponta Delgada. They are expected to be within range of the Azores, Portugal within 24 hours.
Earlier Monday morning, the captain of the Marshall Islands-flagged 623-foot bulk carrier Tamar contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard command center reporting an explosion in the ship’s forward storeroom. He also reported the explosion killed one crew-member and three suffered massive burns and are in need of immediate medical attention.
Second update: The two surviving crew members of the bulk-carrier Tamar explosion were medevaced at approximately 4:30 a.m., by a Portuguese aircrew along with three New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing para-rescuers to continue medical care.
The aircrew arrived in Terceira Island, Azores at about 7 a.m. A Portuguese Air Force jet is scheduled to be waiting along with a medical team to bring the injured to Lisbon, Portugal for medical treatment.
The captain of the Marshall Islands-flagged 623-foot bulk carrier Tamar contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard command center reporting an explosion in the ship’s forward storeroom. New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing para-rescuers arrived on board the Tamar at about 9:30 p.m., Monday, after deploying from their HC-130 with two small boats and advanced life-saving equipment.
Media release furnished by U.S. Coast Guard
