The following is text of a news release from Maersk Line:
(SAGUENAY RIVER, Quebec) — On Sunday morning, the containership Maersk Patras reported a man overboard in the St. Lawrence River. The search and rescue operation was unsuccessful and has now been called off.
At approximately 9:30 a.m. local time, the second officer on Maersk Patras fell overboard northeast of the junction with Saguenay River. Several vessels including Maersk Patras, supported also by airborne assets, were involved in the search and rescue operation, coordinated by the Marine Search & Rescue Center (MRSC) of the Canadian Coast Guard. The search and rescue operation began immediately and was called off in the evening at approximately 8 p.m. local time by the MRSC.
“It is with regret we have received the news that the search and rescue operation was unsuccessful and we must conclude that we have lost our colleague. It is a tragic situation for the family and we have offered them our full support. My deepest condolences and thoughts go to them,” said Soren Toft, COO of A.P. Moller-Maersk.
The second officer is from Sri Lanka. Maersk is in contact with the relatives as well as the crewmembers of Maersk Patras, who will receive crisis counseling.
Maersk will cooperate fully with the authorities in the investigation of the tragic incident.
Maersk Patras, built in 1998, has a capacity of 2,902 TEU and is sailing under the Singapore flag.
