Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Cs-Rene-Descartes

On September 3, 2015, a French national aboard the cargo vessel 'Rné Descartes' was in urgent need of medical assistance due to a suspected heart attack, prompting a swift response from the Coast Guard. Located approximately 80 miles west of Coos Bay, the vessel's crew reached out to the Rescue Coordination Center in France, which relayed the critical situation to the Coast Guard's 13th District command center in Seattle. In response, an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station North Bend was dispatched for the medevac mission. They successfully airlifted the 55-year-old man and transferred him to medical personnel at 6:33 a.m. He was subsequently taken to Bay Area Hospital in Coos Bay for further treatment. For additional details, viewers can refer to the video report at http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2592246/

A six-ton metal plough, integral to the deployment of broadband across the Western Isles, is currently trapped at the sea floor, over 300 feet deep. The unfortunate incident occurred four weeks ago when the plough, named Elodie, became entangled while being operated from the cable-laying vessel "René Descartes," approximately 2.5 miles northeast of North Uist, resulting in a snapped cable. In response to the situation, a specialized salvage mission is set to commence later in October 2014. Elodie, a vibrant yellow plough designed for trench digging in challenging conditions, is crucial for the £146 million fibre broadband initiative led by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The tool became detached from the 'René Descartes' as it was working to bury extensive lengths of fiber optic cable in a muddy seabed. To recover the lost equipment, the ship's owners, Orange Marine, have enlisted the expertise of salvage specialists. The recovery operation will take place in the eastern entrance of the Sound of Harris, situated between North Uist and Harris. Maritime authorities have been informed of the situation, and a surface buoy has been deployed to mark the plough's location. Orange Marine plans to carry out the recovery between October 21 and 23, utilizing a large vessel equipped with a winch. The operation will involve loosening the seabed around the plough with an excavator tool, after which a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) will be used to secure a sling around the plough for recovery. The goal is to safely tow the plough to shallower waters. Currently, the 'René Descartes' is docked in Mull, where it has successfully laid the cable from Mull to Kilchoan and is now engaging the ROV to bury the cable north of Tobermory. Prompt completion of the salvage is essential to allow the cable-laying ship to adhere to its schedule for developing the underwater network. One end of the fiber optic cable has already been successfully landed at Strond in South Harris, continuing northwards into Lewis, while connections for Uist and Barra hinge on the retrieval of Elodie.