by Nick Lee, T&TC Chairman, UK Pilots - published on 4 February 2020
Personal Locator Beacons (PLB) and other individual MOB devices have been available for some years now and have evolved to incorporate a variety of different alerting methods and combinations. However, usage of these additional enhancements within UK Pilotage is still in its infancy.
The video was recorded by Marine Pilot J. von Krahn (Elbe Pilot, Germany) on 08.10.2018 and is the original video with his permission.
The video is taken from the bulk carrier SEA MOON.
Waiting on the porch of boat pilot cabin. Putting on life vest and embarking on boat pilot speedboat. Navigating on St Lawrence River towards cargo ship Federal Kumano. Embarking on cargo ship. Talking stairs up tp navigation bridge. Meeting crew.Taking over controls of Federal Kumano.
Around 11 am local time yesterday (21 February), a pilot fell into the sea while boarding the feeder vessel Blue Ocean, which is operated by Shanghai Jinjiang Shipping on a China-Taiwan service.