ISLE OF MAN REGISTERED CARGO SHIP M/V JOKULFELL - LOST OFF FAROE ISLANDS

On the evening of Monday, 7 February 2005, the Isle of Man registered vessel M/V Jokulfell sank with 11 crew members on board. Five have been rescued from the sea by a rescue helicopter and are now on board the Danish Navy vessel “Vaedderen”.

Six crew members are still missing and the Faeroe Island authorities are leading a search for the missing crewmen. Of the eleven crew members, eight are from Estonia while the remaining three are from Russia (all living in Estonia). The wind in the area is 29 knots, visibility good and the sea is rough. The reason why the ship sank is still unknown.

The 1989 built, 3,200 deadweight tonnes general cargo vessel is owned by K/S DIFKO NORD and technically managed by TESMA Estonia. The ship has been registered in the Isle of Man since 15 December 2003 and is managed in the Isle of Man by Capco Ship Management. The vessel was en route from Estonia to Iceland with a cargo of construction steel and containers. The vessel has approximately 200 tons of gas oil (bunkers) on board.

The ship sank at approximately 22:00 hrs GMT on 7 February 2005 about 60 nautical miles North East of the Faeroe Islands. An electronic distress signal (DSC) was picked up from the vessel at 20:00 hrs GMT by Aberdeen Coastguard and relayed to the relevant authorities. Approximately 2 hours later a rescue helicopter from the Faeroe Islands arrived on the scene. The vessel sank shortly afterwards.

The duty principal surveyor from the Isle of Man Marine Administration was alerted in the early hours of 8 February, as part of the company’s emergency response. Two surveyors from the Marine Administration were contacted and are travelling to the Faeroe Islands to conduct a marine casualty investigation.