Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Rdj-Waalstroom

Following a fire incident in its engine room, the vessel 'RDJ Waalstroom' faced detention in Cherbourg after a Port State Control inspection took place on April 15. During this thorough inspection, inspectors identified a total of four deficiencies, with one flagged as serious enough to warrant immediate detention. This inspection was carried out in accordance with the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) regulations. Before the 'RDJ Waalstroom' can resume its operations, necessary measures must be undertaken to rectify the noted deficiencies.

A serious incident unfolded on April 8, 2026, at approximately 9:50 PM, when the cargo vessel 'RDJ Waalstroom', navigating from Dunkirk to Bilbao with a crew of six, reported a fire in its engine compartment while traversing the English Channel. In response to the alarming situation, the crew quickly evacuated the engine room and initiated the ship's fire suppression system. Fortunately, the fire was brought under control, but one crew member sustained injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Due to the vessel's location within a British Search and Rescue Region (SRR), the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Falmouth assumed responsibility for coordinating the evacuation operations. The injured seaman was located nearly 40 nautical miles south of Salcombe, Devon. At around 10:00 PM, the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat from Salcombe was dispatched and positioned on-site to aid in the rescue mission. In addition to the lifeboat, a Dutch warship quickly responded to provide further support. Meanwhile, a Coastguard rescue helicopter arrived to drop off a paramedic, who promptly rendered initial medical care to the injured crew member. After receiving treatment, the seaman was winched aboard the helicopter and transported to a hospital in Portsmouth for advanced medical assistance. The RNLI lifeboat was eventually stood down, returning to port by 3:30 AM on April 9. Unfortunately, the 'RDJ Waalstroom' was rendered unmaneuverable due to the fire, and by around 01:00 AM on April 9, the vessel drifted into French waters. The Maritime Prefect for the English Channel and North Sea took charge of the operation, transferring the rescue efforts to the CROSS Jobourg. This coordination involved deploying the French Navy's H160 Belligou helicopter, equipped with an assessment team from Brest, along with the emergency tug 'Abeille Liberté' (IMO: 9308699), which was based in Cherbourg and included a crew of firefighters from the Cherbourg Naval Fire and Rescue Service (SISM). Once the onboard situation was stabilized, the 'Abeille Liberté' successfully towed the 'RDJ Waalstroom' to Cherbourg, where the vessel remained in port as of April 15. For further details, including photos and videos of the rescue operation, visit the following links: 1. [Premar Manche Report](https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/assistance-a-navire-en-difficulte-dans-la-manche) 2. [Marine Insight Coverage](https://www.marineinsight.com/watch-rnli-and-coastguard-airlift-injured-seafarer-after-cargo-ship-fire-in-english-channel/) 3. [Tendance Ouest Article](https://www.tendanceouest.com/actualite-438079-mer-un-incendie-se-produit-a-bord-d-un-navire-des-secours-mobilises-au-royaume-uni-a-cherbourg-et-en-bretagne)

On the night of November 24, 2019, the Dutch maritime police launched an investigation into a perplexing incident involving the cargo ship 'Leiria'. This vessel, sailing through the North Sea, exhibited an atypical course and failed to respond to repeated attempts from the Coastguard, as well as visual signals from nearby ships. The KNRM team based in IJmuiden, joined by the lifeboat 'Donator', received a distress alert via the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS), leading to the dispatch of a search and rescue (SAR) helicopter. Upon the helicopter’s arrival, there was a noticeable movement aboard the 'Leiria', and contact was successfully established with the crew. This pivotal communication confirmed that the situation was under control, allowing the lifeboats to stand down at approximately 4:30 a.m. Without the timely intervention from the Coast Guard, the outcome could have been significantly more serious. The Coast Guard is currently conducting a thorough investigation to determine the reasons behind the challenging communications with the ship, which had departed from Riga and safely docked in Kingston-upon-Hull on November 27 at 6:15 a.m. For further details and a visual account, you can check the Dutch report featuring photos at Nieuwsblad IJmuiden.