N
SPECIAL REPORT
SPECIAL REPORT
W
E
S
Europa
the search continues
efforts continue to locate boat and crew
missing since typhoon Mujigae
Words Paul Arkwright
Having considered the most probable areas being searched
and the extremely low possibility of locating any survivor, the
search operation will be suspended on 15 October pending
further new development of the case. HK MRCC will continue to
advise vessels in the vicinity by shipping broadcast to maintain
sharp lookout and report any sighting of survivor.
Please be noted that this is last Sitrep on the subject.”
Search efforts were still ongoing at the time of going to press,
with Unilab plane making sorties over the last known location
of Europa. On 15 October the Hong Kong Marine Rescue
Coordinating Committee (HK MRCC) sent out the last Hong
Kong Government Flight Service (GFS) flight to search for
Allen, Brian, Harry, Robin, Rudy and the Europa. Here is the
exact wording, verbatim, of the announcement, as received by
a relative of the crew.
“The consular officials have been advised by the Hong Kong
authorities that they suspended the SAR operation. They
have advised that:
1. The search has been an exhaustive and extensive one,
since 6 Oct. HK authorities stated that they firmly believe
they have done all they can.
2. The survivability after 10 days of searching is, they are
confident, zero; particularly given the severity of weather
that the yacht would have experienced according to the
EPIRB data and the track of last week’s storm.
3. They have not had EPIRB signal for a very long time,
which means that the search area has now got too large
to search with any remaining certainty.
Please find the last Sitrep below.
Sitrep 21:00h on 14 October
Sincere thanks
to Apa Ongpi
n and Jerry R
kindly forwar
ollin for
ding transcri
pts from the
Marine Rescu
Hong Kong
e Coordinatin
g Committee
Hong Kong G
(HK MRCC),
over
Philippine Coa nment Flight Service (GF
S) and the
st Guard deta
iling the resc
to date. All in
ue efforts
formation in
th
is report is pr
reference purp
ovided for
oses only. Ple
ase note that
guarantee th
we cannot
e accuracy of
any informat
this report.
ion provided
in
34 HEBE JEBES • NOV/DEC 2015
Further to the sitrep at 15:00h, GFS tasked out another
air sortie in this afternoon. The SAR aircraft was on scene
at 14:50h and off scene at 18:00h. Together with the area
cove ɕ