Two seafarers are missing and another was taken to hospital after they leapt from a container ship off the US coast.
Customs & Border Protection (CBP) said the trio jumped off the 6,882-teu Simba (built 2015) in the St Johns River on Wednesday morning.
The Singapore-controlled ship was outbound from JAXPort in Jacksonville, Florida.
The US Coast Guard originally reported that two men had gone overboard.
Witnesses called emergency services to report swimmers in distress in the river, which has swift currents.
One of the men made it to shore near the Fort George Island Marina.
The Jacksonville Fire & Rescue Department transported him to hospital for observation. The crew member will be interviewed, according to CBP.
A second man is also believed to have swum ashore at an unknown location.
He is being sought by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and CBP.
The fate of the third man was unknown.
The Simba dropped anchor after the three went overboard and it remained in the river in the Mayport area on Wednesday.
AIS data showed it underway off the coast on Thursday morning.
Heavy agency presence
The media reported a heavy police and border patrol presence in the area.
Shipping databases list the vessel as owned by OM Maritime and operated by Sea Lead Shipping, both of Singapore.
Technical management is listed as handled by compatriot Draco Buren Shipping, which has been contacted for comment.
JAXPort confirmed to Action News Jax that the Simba is a Sea Lead Shipping vessel.
The company only began calling in Jacksonville earlier this month, bringing in cargo from China and South Korea.
One resident told Action News Jax: “You know, you have those ships — the guys, they see the American dream, you know, they exit one way or another. And if they can get off the ship and nobody sees them, then, you know, ding, ding, they’re successful.”
CBP has not confirmed the nationalities of the three. It said the incident was unusual.
