Ncc-Najem Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

On October 5, 2013, the NCC Najem played a critical role in a rescue mission off the picturesque Devon coast as it responded to an emergency involving the broken-down motor vessel Flying Fox. The incident began around 1:18 p.m. when the Brixham Coastguard received an urgent VHF radio call from the crew of Flying Fox, who reported that they had lost power and were drifting towards open waters. Initially, they believed they were only one to two nautical miles from Blackpool Sands, but in reality, they were about five miles away from that location. The situation escalated when the skipper of the nearby fishing vessel Shiraz tried to assist but was unable to locate the stricken boat. Consequently, the Dartmouth Coastguard Rescue Team was dispatched to search for Flying Fox from the shoreline. In the meantime, communication was lost, prompting the Brixham Coastguard to issue a PAN PAN alert, urging all vessels in the vicinity to keep a watchful eye for the missing boat. The crew on Flying Fox managed to contact the Brixham Coastguard again using a mobile phone, which led to further attempts at visual signaling, including red flares, though these went unnoticed. The Coastguard then instructed the crew to deploy a buoyant orange smoke float as a more effective distress signal. At this point, the NCC Najem, a tanker en route from Tanger to Mongstad, was asked to assist in the search and look for the orange smoke signal. However, the tanker crew spotted the smoke several miles behind them in a completely different direction. Upon finally locating the vessel, the fishing boat William Harvey took charge of towing Flying Fox safely back to Dartmouth, ensuring the relief of the two individuals onboard. This incident highlights the collaborative efforts of maritime rescue teams and vessels in perilous situations at sea.