Stowaway Information – Befriending Stowaways –
18 April 2006 No.529
Our correspondent at Durban, P&I Associates (Pty) Ltd urges that all masters, other officers, and crews should be instructed to follow IMO guidelines for handling stowaways. Recently, a tragic accident happened that two of seven stowaways drowned when they were swimming toward the berth from the vessel. In this case, the stowaways had inveigled the crew by telling miserable life story and have them help to sneak off the vessel, and the master failed to report the presence of stowaways to the owners and Durban Port Authority to free the stowaways. However, once the survived five stowaways were detained by the Authority, they gave testimony that the crews had forced them to off the vessel. Then, the crewmembers were heavily fined and received suspended prison sentences due to Culpable Homicide. Attached please find herewith a copy of the article provided by Mr. Michael Heads of P&I Associates (Pty) Ltd for your attention.