Saturday, 19th July 2008 - 12:43CET
Surviving fisherman gives more details of Simshar sinking
Simon Bugeja, the fisherman who survived at sea for a week, told rescuers yesterday that all four men and the boy aboard the fishing boat Simshar survived the explosion which tore the boat apart. He said the other three men succombed to the sea.
Mr Bugeja said the explosion occurred in the early hours of yesterday week - the same day the boat was due in Malta - after the engine was heard making a strange noise.
The five initially were in the water together, holding on to floating objects which they formed into a raft.
Mr Bugeja said he had urged the others not to drink seawater but it was only himself and his son Theo who didn't.
He said the Ethiopian fisherman who was part of the crew succombed first to the sea last Saturday followed by Noel Carabott on Sunday and Carmelo Bugeja on Monday.
Mr Bugeja said that on Thursday, a helicopter flew very close to him and his son but somehow did not see them.
The corpse of Mr Carabott was found late on Thursday and that of Carmelo Bugeja was found yesterday. The police confirmed they had drowned.
Simon Bugeja said he had been with his son up to yesterday morning, when Theo slipped from his hands but was still on a two floats which he had tied to his son. Mr Bugeja was rescued yesterday evening and is under intensive care.
The search for Theo and the Ethiopian fisherman is continuing.
RSS
Comments
God be with them and family.
Petrol 62°C (143°F) 210°C (410°F)
Jet fuel >38°C (100°F) 210°C (410°F)
Kerosene >38–72°C (100–162°F) 220°C (428°F)
Vegetable oil >327°C (620°F)[1]
Biodiesel >130°C (266°F)
Petrol is designed for use in an engine which is driven by a spark. The fuel should be premixed with air within its flammable limits and heated above its flash point, then ignited by the spark plug. The fuel should not preignite in the hot engine. Therefore, petrol is required to have a low flash point and a high autoignition temperature.
Diesel is designed for use in a high-compression engine. Air is compressed until it has been heated above the autoignition temperature of diesel; then the fuel is injected as a high-pressure spray, keeping the fuel-air mix within the flammable limits of diesel. There is no ignition source. Therefore, diesel is required to have a high flash point and a low autoignition temperature.
Diesel varies between 126°F and 204°F (52°C-96°C/WJ).
(Source Wickepedia)
@ J.Grima.
Simshar was carrying love........ not suspects!!!!!
How come that after the authorities has inspected the area, they did not notice the bodies in Sea. The authorities are not capable of taking care of such issues and emergencies.
A boy is still missing out there and with all the technologies which we are proud of still he is not found.
Remember if some one took care of the Monitors, they would have noticed instantly about the missing boat, and those people that survived the explosion they would be all ALIVE. May the ones who are responsible, be brought forward.
Diesel FACTS. Not classified as flammable. True but Very Very Misleading!!
Diesel will ignite when it reaches surfaces of high temperature and may ignite and explode when vapour concentrations reach flammable range.
Most Marine engine temperature gauges monitor the water temperature same as in a car. On a marine diesel engine closed inside an engine bay - the first items that starts to get Red Hot (and is not monitored) once the engine starts to overheat is the exhaust manifold.
Diesel vapour is heavier than air. On a boat (not a car) vapour gathers at the BOTTOM of closed engine bays and diesel tank compartments but will not ignite.
If it so happens that the engine should overheat for some reason – the exhaust gets RED HOT – and if the diesel fumes reach the red hot exhaust, the inevitable happens.
I have been boating over 20 years. Few people are aware. If you want to install a disaster alarm on a diesel power boat - Install a fume dedector (on / normally off) + exhaust temperature alarm (on / normally off.) When both are ON Sound the alarm!
Families, and the Immigrant Also.
I see here, that some are trying too, take a Political advantage, to lesson our very Dedicated
A.F.M !!! They are well know'n for thier, Bravery, and often they risk thier Own Lives to save,
Others, As for me a big Thank You to the Armed Forces Of Malta we need You.
Why don't we wiat to see an Official Report bye the A.F.M in the proper time ? And NOT jumping to Conclusion's, Thank you.
No one better knows what these fishermen pass out there when they go for their living, it is not a happy outing for sure, so we should better mind our own business than saying what to do and not to do now. At least we should show some respect and dignity for these families,they are suffering so much at this moment that for sure they would not want to read certain comments like these which are infounded.
May God and the Lady of Pompei be with all these people who have suffered these losses, you are all in our prayers, all the time.
Like many others I have been a boater all my life, have had my minor mishaps at sea and learnt one sacred fact that between the two, the ocean is always the winner with the slim odd chance here and there.
It is a very common belief that the " it will never happen to me" mentallity prevails.
However all responsibilty on board falls down on the boats skipper who is to check that all is in order and all equipment functions. Also very common not to have secondary safety equipment.
An expence considered superfluss!!
Satelite tracking devices are easily available ( within reasonable cost )and should be made compulsory to carry on any boat out of immediate coastal waters.
There is no point and justice in blaming search and rescue personell as finding a person in open sea is like finding a needle in a haystack.
What Simon will find hardest is the loss of his son from his fingertips together with the rest of his crew, something that will most probably haunt him the rest of his life.
Let us hope Theo is still hanging on and will be found together with "Kalcidon"
All Malta is currently on edge hoping and wishing to hear good news with regards to the rescue of Theo Bugeja.
I fully agree with Prof. Alex Felice with regards to the deployment and utilisation of location/flotation devices when at sea, especially for those of us who venture out far into the untamed wilderness of our seas.
@ James Dalli
I very much doubt that a fishing vessel capable of going so far out to sea was being propelled by an outboard motor. Most probably it had 1 or 2 inboard diesel engines.....which raises the question - what did explode???
I hope the authorities & Mr. Bugeja would be so kind so as to divulge what they think happened (what caused the explosion) once the search&rescue operation is over. Hopefully this information may help other seafarers take the necessary/possible precautions to prevent any similar re-occurence from happening ever again.
Who told you that they had an outboard motor? The boat was about 35 feet, do you think it was with an outboard motor? You have not see the pictures of the boat than.
I'm very sad for the families involved in this situation, and thumbs up to the Grecale crew and other fishing boats that helped out.
On another note, it seems that the only person here that decided to detach himself from the rest of "us" by using his prefix, also decided to give a political hue to this story. How sickening! How low! It is more tragic than all tragedies put together if we have these "professors" in our country who manage to polarize a national sorrow.
May the good Lord grant them eternal peace.
@ Professor Felice
I don't know if you have any experience at sea, but I can't imagine anybody having the minimum chance of wearing a life jacket when there is an explosion onboard a vessel. Also please keep out politics out of this matter.
@Profesor Alex Felice
I can`t understand what minister Gatt has to do with this case, as you said "it is time to reflect as a nation how to behave ourselves better even with each-other" so please you start first ,don`t try to put politics in a tragedy like this.
must have had a name and relatives; I find that his loss must have cost some sadness somewhere in this world.
As for the Ethiopian fisherman,maybe we should give him a name ourselves?Maybe we should call him Kalcidon ( that was my grandfather and he was a great fisherman TAL FONOC ).At least now he's got a name and some dignity.You will all be in our hearts and prayers now and forever.Wishing Simon a speedy recovery and the biggest miracle,to be united with his beloved precious son.
Michaela Gatt Carabott (Xlukkajra ),Melbourne,Australia.
Hope that the forces could find your son all the maltese people are behind you lad.
I am sorry fo the others who just left us to go near god.
Finger crossed for theo
It is time to reflect as a nation how to behave ourselves better even with each-other.
Good luck to Minister Gatt; everything can be liberalised within constraints that protect consumers and the over-riding rule of law, together with safety at work.
There are lessons from the M’Xlokk tragedy;
It is difficult to understand why it took us one week to find the dead and the survivors in an area that is constantly surveyed by military and secret services operations.
Secondly, anyone at sea should learn to wear safety gear and carry an electronic detection device; Not too difficult in these days of Smart City and being "Smart at Sea"
What I want to say is, work with your minds more than your heart.
I have no intent of being offensive and my heart and my family’s goes out to the affected families in M’Xlokk; may their loved ones rest in peace .
We wish Simon good health and peace at heart.
I am deeply sorry to read such a bad news. May Allah bless their souls and keep them in heaven. My condolences to all the families of these victims.
May God have mercy on the deceased soul and may the family be given strength to fight the pains that this tragedy has brought on them.
I wish a speedy and full recovery to Simon and I'll pray for them all.
God be with you, Simon.
A miracle we are all praying for.