The suspected hijacking of the oil tanker Nave Andromeda off the coast of the Isle of Wight has captivated the UK press. Whereas the heroic efforts of members of the Particular Boat Service in resolving the scenario have been highlighted, little public consideration has been paid to the seafarers working onboard the tanker who have been caught up within the incident.

At round 10am on October 25 the captain of the Nave Andromeda set off a safety alert reporting that seven stowaways onboard had turned violent and have been threatening the crew after the crew tried to detain the stowaways in a cabin. The vessel was a number of miles off the coast of the Isle of Wight, and was scheduled to berth in Southampton.

The 22-person crew secured themselves within the citadel, a small room within the inside of the ship which is designated as a spot during which to take shelter within the occasion of a safety incident. It’s understood that the crew remained sheltered within the citadel, a single room with no home windows, for about ten hours.

They have been capable of safely exit when UK particular forces boarded the vessel and detained the stowaways. This should have been a really traumatic expertise for the entire seafarers. They have been successfully held hostage on their very own vessel, an area during which they not solely work however reside for months at a time.

Nearly instantly after their ordeal, the crew proceeded to berth the ship in Southampton within the early hours of October 26. The arrival in port can have required a lot of the crew to have been working – individuals who had spent the earlier night time at work and the next day being held hostage in a crowded room.

Even with out such an incident, seafarers work lengthy hours: my analysis signifies on common ten hours each day that they’re onboard. Stints onboard final a median of between three and 6 months. It’s subsequently hardly shocking that seafarers are recognized to expertise substantial fatigue.

My very own expertise as a seafarer and my analysis into the business tells me that seafarers similar to these on the Nave Andromeda typically need to proceed working instantly following a traumatic occasion. Even after being held captive for a chronic time frame seafarers can be anticipated to comply with directions to sail the ship to a secure port. It’s onerous to consider one other occupation during which a employee might be held hostage after which instantly resume work with none type of break or time to relaxation and recuperate.

Whereas some corporations have reported that they might attempt to change traumatised crew members, this can’t be finished till the vessel reaches port. If, for instance, a deadly accident happens in the midst of the ocean, this can be a number of weeks away. And even as soon as a vessel has reached port following a traumatic occasion it isn’t uncommon for seafarers to stay onboard the ship throughout their employment contract. For instance, when the M/V Boularibank was attacked by pirates, the crew carried on working as normal.

I’ve myself skilled a traumatic incident onboard whereas working as crew on a product tanker. All I obtained following the incident was an e-mail from the transport firm addressed to the crew asking anybody who required psychological assist to contact them – in any other case it was enterprise as normal. Maybe a greater strategy would have been a confidential cellphone name from a educated particular person with every crew member onboard, making it clear that it was OK to say that some assist was wanted.

As a result of though I used to be provided assist from my employer, shore-based charities typically need to step in as a result of seafarers are reluctant to determine themselves to their employer as needing assist. My analysis signifies that given the non permanent nature of their employment, this reluctance to attract consideration to themselves is because of the concern of being unable to safe future employment.

This case is especially regarding on condition that seafarers are recognized to expertise comparatively excessive charges of psychological unwell well being, together with despair and suicide ideation. It’s potential that a few of these onboard could go on to expertise PTSD, in an identical vein to these seafarers who’ve skilled piracy assaults.

It is usually potential that among the crew, significantly the captain, could also be involved that they are going to be blamed for the stowaways accessing the vessel. Analysis signifies that captains really feel that they’re thought of to be accountable for any stowaways who handle to cover away on their vessel. Though safety measures in ports are usually very excessive in some elements of the world, in others, native measures are insufficient. From my very own expertise as a seafarer I do know firsthand how tough it may be for ships crews to forestall stowaways from boarding.

Clearly these 22 crew members have skilled a traumatic occasion. It needs to be remembered that they’re all key employees. As an island nation 95% of all UK imports and exports come by sea. With out seafarers similar to these working onboard the Nave Andromeda, the UK would come to a standstill. While acknowledging the heroic efforts of members of the UK Particular Forces it might be remiss to not additionally acknowledged the heroic efforts of the 22 seafarers working onboard.

Helen Devereux has beforehand obtained funding from the Nippon Basis.