A SEA Swift general cargo vessel earlier this month aided a recreational fishing boat in remote Northern Territory waters.
Crew on the LCT Malu Explorer received a distress call from two people on the fishing boat Greenback. The smaller vessel’s engines had failed in the Bowen Strait near Wanakutja on Croker Island.
In less than an hour the Malu Explorer connected with the crew on the Greenback and set off to Darwin Harbour with the Greenback safely in tow.
Sea Swift said this is the third rescue mission the company’s vessels had been involved with this year. The company’s fleet has helped in similar situations in far north Queensland, including another stranded recreational boat.
CEO praises crew
Sea Swift CEO Dr Rochelle Macdonald said she was proud of the Malu Explorer crew’s actions to undertake the rescue mission.
“At Sea Swift, we always play an active role in the communities where we operate, and this includes looking out for one another,” Dr Macdonald said.
“This is another example of our crews going above and beyond to show mateship and helping out those in need. We’re glad the fishermen on the Greenback had a positive outcome and that we played a part in avoiding a more serious situation developing.”
The Malu Explorer is an Australian-flagged general cargo vessel. It has a cargo capacity of 608 deadweight tonnes. It is 45.12 metres long and has a width of 13.2 metres. The vessel was built in 1995.
Sea Swift specialises in freight operations in northern Australia. It operates throughout the region’s remote coastal and island communities. The company has depots in Darwin, Gove, Groote Eylandt, Maningrida and Galiwinku in the Northern Territory. In Queensland, it has depots in Cairns, Weipa, Seisia, Horn Island, Badu Island and Thursday Island. Sea Swift also operates a new international shipping service between Singapore and Dampier.
