Tag Archives: F/V L’Ecume II
Deep-felt’ grief as crew of L’Ecume II are remembered
The ambassador of the Philippines to the UK attended a memorial service in Jersey yesterday for the three fishermen who died in the L’Ecume II sinking. His Excellency, Teodoro Locsin Jr, spoke of the “deep-felt” grief stemming from the loss of skipper Michael Michieli and Filipino crew members Jervis Ramirez Baligat and Larry Simyunn as a result of the maritime tragedy in December 2022. All three men died following a collision between their fishing boat – L’Ecume II – and Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. Two men have been charged with the unlawful killing of the fishermen and have both pleaded not guilty. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 12:53
Minute silences to be held to mark anniversaries of Haut du Mont explosion and trawler tragedy
Minute silences will be held this week to mark the one-year anniversaries of two tragedies which claimed the lives of 13 people. The government has announced that public workers will fall silent at noon on Friday to remember fisherman Michael Michieli and his two crew – Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn – who were killed when their trawler was in collision with the Commodore Goodwill freight ship. Another silence will be observed at noon on Sunday to mark the first anniversary of the explosion at Haut du Mont on Pier Road. Nine residents – 72-year-old Peter Bowler, Raymie Brown (71), Romeu and Louise De Almeida (67 and 64 years), Derek and Sylvia Ellis (61 and 73 years), Ken and Jane Ralph (72 and 71 years) and 63-year-old Billy Marsden – were killed in the blast. Photos, more, >>click to read<< 11:03
Report on L’Ecume trawler sinking goes to Law Officers
A ‘complex’ file of evidence on the fatal collision between Condor’s Commodore Goodwill and the L’Ecume II trawler has been handed to the Law Officers Department by the States police. A similar file on the Pier Road explosion will be submitted to the department in due course, Chief Minister Kristina Moore has confirmed. The L’Ecume II sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with the Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. The boat’s skipper and two crew died in the tragedy. Given the “size and complexity” of the evidence file relating to the L’Ecume II collision, Deputy Moore noted that “it will take some time to consider the evidence” – although specific timelines for completion were not provided. >>click to read<< 14:21
L’Ecume II: specialist teams leave Jersey as recovery operation comes to an end
Harbourmaster Bill Sadler has been notified by the States police that there are no further tasks for the teams to complete at the wreck site, after parts of the vessel and the body of skipper Michael Michieli, were recovered as part of the operation’s key objectives. The maritime exclusion zone has now been removed along with the anchors and buoys deployed last month. Specialist teams and recovery vessels, including a 60-metre crane barge which arrived last month have now left the Island. The parts of the trawler recovered from the seabed have been moved to a secure location and the wreck is now in the possession of the States police. >click to read< 21:07
Fishing Vessel L’Ecume II: Sunken trawler’s condition ‘worse than expected’
The operation to bring the vessel to shore was mobilised on Sunday, but has faced “unsafe” sea conditions. A specialist dive team and support crew with remotely operated vehicles (ROV) were deployed to the site. The first phase of the operation, a dive survey, began and found the wreck in “an unstable condition”. It said with that with high spring tides and a strong swell, depths had exceeded the dive limit of 50m (164ft). The States said the steel deck had dislodged from the vessel’s wooden structure, and although this had given divers an “access point”, it also posed a risk of trapping them. >click to read< 09:57
Specialist divers survey sunken L’Ecume II fishing boat as recovery operation begins
An experienced team of nine divers has begun surveying the L’Ecume II fishing boat that sank in December after colliding with a Condor ferry. It marks the first stage of a complex recovery operation with a 1,000-metre exclusion zone now in place around the wreck off Jersey’s northwest coast. Specialist equipment including a 60-metre crane barge and 20-metre tugboat arrived in the island last week and have now been deployed to the site. Links, >click to read< 11:42
L’Ecume II recovery operation to start as soon as possible states officials
Herbosch-Kiere Marine Contractors Ltd, a specialist marine contractor, has been commissioned to raise the wreck of L’Ecume II. Herbosch-Kiere is experienced in wreck raises and they are familiar with Jersey, having previously worked on major marine infrastructure projects in the Island. Following the dive survey and exploration, the wreck raise will require a fair-weather window of five days to go ahead. Teams involved will be continually assessing the conditions to determine when the lift can happen. Once the wreck has been raised, it will be transported to La Collette where it will be stored at a secure location, under States of Jersey Police supervision. >click to read< 13:30
L’Ecume II sinking: Work to raise fishing boat to begin shortly
Divers are to begin an operation to raise the wreck of a fishing trawler that sank off the coast of Jersey. A specialist dive team is due to arrive later this week, the government said. It said they will initially be carrying out a dive survey “over the next few days” before the lift is expected later in April. The preliminary work will also involve an exploration of the wreck and collection of debris from the surrounding area. Authorities said the wreck of the L’Ecume II will be taken to La Collette, where it will be stored under police guard. >click to read< 08:54
‘Significant progress’ made with L’Ecume II investigation
More than 400 lines of enquiry have been recorded since the start of the investigation – Operation Nectar – with more than 300 now complete. The L’Ecume II fishing trawler sank on Thursday 8 December following a collision with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast. In a statement, the force said: ‘Significant progress is being made with the investigation and most of the evidential opportunities have now been completed.’ Family liaison officers continue to support the families of Mr Michieli, Mr Baligat, and Mr Simyunn in Jersey and the Philippines. The wreck of L’Ecume II is due to be raised once the specialist equipment needed to do so has been acquired. It will be held on land as part of the police investigation at a secure location, where a forensic examination will take place to recover evidence and record the damage. >click to read< 08:51
Trawler which sank after colliding with Condor ferry off Jersey’s coast to be raised
The wreck of the F/V L’Ecume II fishing trawler is to be raised from the seabed, the government has announced. During a media briefing to provide an update on three major incidents that recently struck the Island, senior civil servant Richard Corrigan said that the decision to raise the vessel had been taken for both ‘evidential gain and for humanitarian reasons’. The trawler, skippered by Michael Michieli, sank after colliding with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast at around 5.30am on Thursday 8 December. >click to read< 08:05
Police investigation into sunken L’Ecume II trawler launched
An independent investigation into the sunken L’Ecume II trawler has been launched by the States police to establish any criminal culpability. Andy Shearwood, a former detective chief inspector with Thames Valley Police, has been appointed as the senior investigating officer for ‘Operation Nectar’ and will work alongside Detective Inspector Christina Maclennan, former head of the Criminal Investigation Department at the States police. The States police will also be supported by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The L’Ecume II, skippered by Michael Michieli, sank after colliding with Condor’s Commodore Goodwill freight ship off Jersey’s west coast at about 5.30am on Thursday 8 December. >click to read< 09:45
F/V L’Ecume II: Search for missing Jersey fisherman ‘will continue’
The search for a missing fisherman whose trawler sank off Jersey will continue, the government has said. Jersey-based L’Ecume II sank after colliding with a Condor freight ferry on 8 December. The bodies of the two crew members, Jervis Baligat and Larry Simyunn, have been recovered, but skipper Michael Michieli has not been found. Deputy Chief Minister Kirsten Morel said next steps in the search were being considered. “There’s a range of options including further exploration of L’Ecume with divers or it is possible we may also need to look at the potential for raising the vessel,” >click to read< 09:25
Sunken fishing boat bodies identified
Two bodies recovered from near a sunken fishing trawler off the coast of Jersey have been identified as the crewmen. Larry Simyunn and Jervis Baligat died when L’Ecume II sank after it collided with a freight ferry at about 05:30 GMT on 8 December. A search and recovery operation for the boat’s missing skipper, Micheal Michieli, continues. Jersey Police said its “thoughts continue to be with the families and friends affected by this tragedy”. >click to read< 16:42
L’Ecume II: Unmanned craft carries out ‘extensive search’ below deck at wreck site
An unmanned craft has started work to access and search the last remaining areas of the trawler which sank after colliding with a Condor freight ship. The underwater robot has been surveying the wreck site following the collision between L’Ecume II and Commodore Goodwill which claimed the lives of three fishermen. Ports of Jersey says that areas of the trawler’s deck and accommodation structure have been removed and that the final stage of the search is now under way. >click to read< 16:06
The search for three fishermen is under way for a second day after a fishing boat sank off the coast of Jersey.
The captain and two crew members of the L’Ecume II are missing after it was in collision with the Commodore Goodwill ship just after 05:30 GMT on Thursday. Jersey Coastguard confirmed its tug, the RNLI and the Channel Islands Air Search plane was involved. Local fishermen also offered to assist in the search after the fishing vessel sank in about 131ft (40m) of water. The decision to resume the search was made after reviewing the footage from a remotely operated underwater vehicle that was used to examine the sunken vessel. >click to read< 08:40
Jersey: Fears grow for missing fishermen who vanished along with their boat
Hopes are fading for the crew of a fishing boat who went missing off the coast of Jersey in the early hours of this morning. A major search has been under way throughout the day after a trawler collided with a cargo ship and sent three people overboard. Specialist divers have been involved in a search and rescue operation, but it has been suspended for the night. Efforts will resume in the morning around the area where the fishing vessel L’Ecume II disappeared in 40-metre-deep water. One of the missing men has been named locally as Michael Michieli, the skipper of the Jersey-registered vessel. It struck the Commodore Goodwill, a 120m freight carrier with a tonnage of 11,166, at around 5.30am this morning. >click to read< 19:24
Port of Jersey Investigation: Vessel became grounded after crew fell asleep
A fishing boat making its way back to the Island after unloading in Normandy became grounded in Belcroute Bay after the crewman at the helm fell asleep, a marine accident investigation has found. L’Ecume II, one of the largest vessels in the Island’s fleet, had been at sea for 42 hours when the incident occurred. The two-man crew had been unable to rest after offloading their catch in the port of Granville, as authorities had requested the boat move on immediately owing to Covid rules.,, Investigators were told by the deckhand that his last recollection was seeing that there were 28 minutes of the journey left. His next memory was waking in the wheelhouse with the boat having run aground at Belcroute Bay. >click to read< 07:42
Fishing vessel aground near St Aubin
A fishing boat ran aground south west of St Aubin’s Fort, in the early hours of this morning (Thursday 14 May) Jersey Police say the two crew members on board the 17m boat called L’Ecume II were attempting to secure it. They were rescued at approximately 3am. The vessel has now been refloated following the high tide and the island’s Harbourmaster, Captain Bill Sadler, says there were no signs of pollution caused by the incident. more photo’s, >click to read< 17:11
