Cell phone proves key in dramatic rescue effort

EVERYONE KNOWS that having a cell phone handy can be a lifesaver. Not everyone would expect that the light from one could be used at sea to bring about a dramatic sea rescue. That’s exactly what happened on the recent voyage of the Unicorn Tanker Oribi to Dar es Salaam. An hour after midnight the ship’s master, Capt Chris Savage, was called to the bridge because dim lights had been seen in the water. Shouting could also be heard, but because of the ship’s locality, five days out from Durban and in the midst of the Mozambique Channel midway between the Comores and Mozambique, Savage’s immediate thought was of piracy and he immediately placed the ship’s crew on full muster and alert. However a radar scan showed no other craft nearby and a decision was made to slow down and investigate. That was when the crew noticed two men in an open boat frantically rowing towards them while shining the light from a cell phone to attract attention. The two fishermen from the Comores had drifted 85km from shore after running out of petrol for their outboard and had had no food or water for several days. Once they’d been taken on board, the French speaking men were kept under close watch because of ship security rules, but were soon gulping down meals and drinking large cups of coffee, dressed in donated clothes. A phone call to ‘home’ on the ship’s communication system put family at ease and later the two were landed at Dar es Salaam to be flown home, a testament to excellent and alert watchkeeping on board the Oribi.