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Rescue Technology
When the Oceanus sank off the Transkei coast, it seemed like a nightmare come true. It seemed as if the hundreds of passengers and crew were destined for certain death. But speedy intervention by highly qualified and equipped emergency services turned this potential disaster into an international rescue success story. But the rescue was not without its problems.
Ian Weinberg from NSRI commented on the incident:
"The major problem facing the sea rescue for the Oceanus disaster was the problem of inaccessibility to the ship during this period. We have 26 Sea Rescue stations along the coast of SA, but the Transkei coast area is where we're very thin on the ground in terms of rescue services"
While the NSRI coordinated the radio contact during the rescue, it was the airforce, 22nd Squadron, who carried out the operation.
Lt. Colonel, Herman Treurnicht of the SAAF 22 Squadron said that the 22 Maritime Squadron in the Cape are always at hand to assist ships whenever they are dire straits and rescue passengers off sinking boats and ships.
One of the greatest challenges in ensuring safety on the open sea is communication. In order for emergency services to respond quickly, a ship in distress has to be able to communicate.
"As an example", explained Marius Bezuidenhout of Telkom, "the cruise ship Oceanus, on the 3 of August 1991 at 20h00 sent out a distress using Morse code as a mode of communication. The SOS was picked up by Telkom's three Maritime radio stations in Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town radio. The information was immediately relayed to all shipping and then passed on to the Maritime Rescue Co-ordinator Center situated at Silvermine. The rescue mission commenced. The Oceanus carried 600 passengers on board. At one o'clock the following afternoon the Oceanus went down and not a soul was lost."
Geoff Merryweather at Maritime Services Telkom said: "The latest technology which was officially introduced in February 1999 is known as the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System or as it is better known,GMDSS. It's replaced morse code and other outdated technology. In essence what it is, is a
system of ship to shore alerting, using both satellite technology and terrestrial radio. Replacing the ship to ship alerting which was previously the norm."
GMDSS is largely a radio telephone system. However, as satellite technology advances, there are additional methods of communication at sea.
"Then there are further means of communication mandatory for ships", continued Geoff, " to allow homing in on ships after they ship have sunk. These are distress beacons which are released by the vessel, and are detected by the satellite system COS PAS SAR SAT, which we now have in South Africa. We have gradually introduced all the current systems, mandated by the International Maritime Organization and we are up to date with the rest of the world".
So that's the communication aspect of sea rescue... but that's just the beginning. Actually getting to a ship in distress and rescuing the people involved is another matter altogether.
The NSRI works closely with the South African Air Force in all monitoring and rescue operations. The pilots of 22 Squadron swoop like angels from the air in the event of a disaster.
Contacts
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The superstitious children's rhyme goes "Touch my nose, touch my toes, hope I never go in one of those." And, while we all hope we can go through life without riding in an emergency vehicle, when trouble strikes, we also hope there'll be one close by.
But, at midnight, GMT on the 31st March 1999, the last morse code stations in South Africa fell silent. So what new technology caters for ship to shore communication?
"The new technology which we put onto every boat that we build is the GPS or Global Positioning System", says Ian Weinberg .
"This system is an extremely good aid to sea rescue if the person we are looking for has one of these on board. He can look at his system and inform us of his position. We merely punch this data into our GPS and it will tell the helmsman which way to steer. We can get within 10 meters of the victim. This system has saved many many lives."
Navigational apparatus, rescue equipment and medical supplies are all crucial in helping survivors... and in ensuring that the maximum number of people survive a disaster.
"The Airforce forms part of an emergency team in the Cape Province", says Capt Mariette Hopley of the SAAF, "Specifically the 22nd Squadron with their maritime capabilities of air sea rescues and mountain rescues etc. They can work together with the NSRI, Metro, the navy divers as well as the Emergency Services in the local regions along the Cape Coast . They all form one good team"
Perhaps if rescue technology had progressed at the same pace as the avarice of the ship builders, the Titanic would never have sunk. 1500 lives could have been saved, and we would have been spared the tears of millions of teenage girls over the demise of Leonardo di Caprio!
