A bulker owned by Greek owner AM Nomikos is being investigated by the Philippine Coast Guard for its actions following a fatal collision with a fishing boat earlier this week.
AM Nomikos does not deny the 55,800-dwt Vienna Wood N (built 2011) hit an object off Mindoro Island late in the evening of the 27 June. The object is understood to have been the fishing vessel Liberty 5.
Following the incident, the Vienna Wood N informed the Maritime Coordination Rescue Centre.
AM Nomikos said: “The crew inspected the damage sustained in order to ascertain if it compromised Vienna Wood N’s own safety and stability and then returned to the location of the collision to search for survivors. An overturned hull of what appeared to be a small vessel was spotted and reported to the Coast Guard, no survivors have been found.”
However, the Philippine Coast Guard is investigating the time it took the Vienna Wood N to report the incident and its role in contributing to the search-and-rescue operation.
“Based on our investigation, they did not initiate lowering a rescue boat. A factor would be the huge waves,” Philippine Coast Guard commandant Vice Admiral George Ursabia Jr said in a press conference, according to local media reports.
“They prioritised the proper navigation of their vessel because other small vessels came to the incident area.”
Explaining its actions following the collision, AM Nomikos said that once the the Coast Guard arrived, the ship remained on the scene until it was cleared to sail to a nearby port for survey and repairs.
“She was escorted to Batangas Bay, Philippines,” the company said. "The owners, shipmanager and the crew are fully cooperating with authorities as part of the ongoing investigation."
The vessel was sailing from Subic Bay to Australia when it collided with the Liberty 5.
The Vienna Wood N’s protection and indemnity insurance is provided by the UK P&I Club.
