Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Daiwan-Elegance

In a heartbreaking maritime tragedy, the chief mate of the 'Daiwan Elegane,' a Taiwanese vessel, lost his life at sea on August 22, 2021. The incident unfolded shortly after the ship had completed its loading operations at Zhangjiagang port, with activities wrapping up around 1 a.m. that morning. By 2 a.m., concerns arose when the second officer could not reach the chief mate via walkie-talkie, prompting the captain to initiate a comprehensive search of the vessel. During the search, the crew discovered the chief mate's helmet, walkie-talkie, and notebook near cargo hold No. 3, where the monkey ladder had been deployed to assess the mid draft of the ship. A duty crew member confirmed that he and two others had already checked the ship’s draft prior to the incident. It was later speculated that the chief mate may have attempted to inspect the draft again alone, without wearing any safety equipment, which may have led to his accidental fall overboard. In a coordinated response, a Search and Rescue (SAR) operation was subsequently launched, leading to the recovery of the chief mate's body on August 25 in the afternoon. Remarkably, the sea conditions were calm at the time, with three ladders positioned to the water and fixed ladders available at the pier. As the investigation into this tragic accident continues, the vessel remains anchored at a mooring buoy nearby, while local authorities thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding this unfortunate event.