Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Bison-Exp-Ress

Vroon BV, the Dutch owner of the cattle carrier Bison Express, has publicly commended the ship's crew for their heroic efforts during a crucial rescue operation on June 26. While sailing from Jakarta to Fremantle, the Bison Express came to the aid of 130 asylum seekers in distress. In a statement, Vroon expressed heartfelt gratitude: "We would like to thank the crew of Bison Express for their dedication as mariners, assisting the authorities in this critical rescue mission. Our thoughts and those of the crew are with the affected individuals and their families during this troubling time." The situation drastically escalated after the Bison Express arrived on the scene just 67 minutes following the boat's initial distress signals. Tragically, the vessel capsized shortly after the crew documented the asylum seekers, who were clinging to lifejackets on their overloaded boat. On June 28, the captain reported that rescue operations were ongoing, with seven survivors already retrieved from the water. In total, aside from the successful efforts of Bison Express, two other merchant vessels participated in the rescue, ultimately bringing aboard 123 of the asylum seekers. These ships reached the distress site at approximately 10:30 a.m., around four hours after the first distress call was made to the Australian Federal Police at 6:17 a.m. A subsequent call followed at 7:30 a.m., providing clear coordinates. Alarming reports surfaced when the boat capsized at 11:37 a.m., resulting in unaccounted individuals still in the water. As of the latest updates from last night, Indonesian authorities had yet to deploy any vessels for rescue support, despite the area being only 25 kilometers from a previous tragic incident that claimed the lives of up to 90 asylum seekers. The two vessels shared not only a similar origin but also an overwhelmingly overloaded condition and pursued nearly identical paths toward Christmas Island. Through the ongoing investigation, Indonesia's search and rescue agency, Basarnas, alleged that the asylum seekers may have sabotaged their own boat in a desperate bid to evade a forced return. However, senior officials in the Australian government asserted there is no solid evidence suggesting intentional damage, noting that generator failures likely caused the vessel to take on water.

On June 26, 2012, a tragic incident unfolded in the Indian Ocean as a vessel carrying approximately 150 asylum seekers capsized near Christmas Island. The dire situation became apparent when one of the passengers managed to call for help using a satellite phone, alerting authorities that their boat was in distress and urgently needed rescue. Earlier, the cargo ship 'Bison Express' had encountered the overcrowded vessel and even captured images of its deck filled with people. Once notified of the emergency, the 'Bison Express' responded to the call for help, working alongside authorities who dispatched two Australian Navy ships to the scene. A nearby merchant vessel also joined the effort to coordinate the search and rescue operations. As of the initial reports, the exact number of survivors remained uncertain. For further information, check the photo documentation: http://www.amsa.gov.au/media/incidents/ChristmasIslandJune2012/images/2012-June-BisonExpress1.jpg