RSOE EDIS: Brazil - Vehicle Incident - 2010.02.19

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

2010-02-19 13:44:37 - Vehicle Incident - Brazil EDIS CODE: VIV-20100219-24997-BRA Date & Time: 2010-02-19 13:44:37 [UTC] Area: Brazil, Atlantic Ocean (South), About 300 kilometres off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Damage level: Moderate (Level 2) Not confirmed information! Description: All 64 people aboard a Canadian tall ship that sunk off the coast of Brazil have been rescued, the Brazilian navy said Friday morning. The SV Concordia, the flagship of Lunenburg, N.S.-based West Island College Class Afloat, sank about 300 kilometres off the coast of Rio de Janeiro Thursday night after it was flipped upside down in strong winds, a news release from the navy said. The ship hosts high school and university students. A C-130 Hercules aircraft from the Brazilian air force located a life raft in the vicinity of the distressed ship, and the Brazilian frigate Constitucao (Constitution) was dispatched to gather the crew. A Japanese merchant ship in the area, Hokuetsu Delight, also assisted in the rescue. Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon expressed his relief with the news of survival. "All crew and passengers have been recovered and are uninjured. This is good news," said the minister in a statement Friday morning. "I thank Brazilian authorities who led a search and rescue operation and acted swiftly to assist the ship and its passengers." The ship had left Recife, Brazil, on Feb. 8 and was scheduled to dock in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, on Feb. 23. West Island College Class Afloat is an alternative educational program that offers high school and university-aged students from Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Quebec year-long courses aboard a sailing ship. The SV Concordia is a 57.5-metre ship with a 35-metre mast and 15 sails. It was built in 1992 and is capable of holding up to 66 crew and students. The ship left on its latest voyage on Sept. 7, 2009, from Lunenburg. It crossed the Atlantic to Dublin before navigating the Portuguese coast, the Mediterranean Sea, and northern Africa before sailing west to Recife. Posted:2010-02-19 13:44:37 [UTC] Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu