Kenyan-flagged vessel ends in fatal tragedy on Seychelles reef

Maritime tragedies have hit Seychelles. In August, two young children drowned as their boat capsized on their way back to Praslin from La Digue, after the August 15 celebrations. This incident was followed by “Sea Horse,” an Island Development Company (IDC) chartered landing craft, acting as the supply ship to Coetivy Island, catching fire and later sinking and leaving four crew members unaccounted for and one crew making it safely ashore after receiving help from the island.

The maritime challenges of the month continued, with Kenyan-flagged vessel Diamond Ace 1 running aground between islands in the Sainte Anne Marine National Park. What that foreign flagged ship was doing is this marine park area is still unclear.

The Director General of Seychelles Maritime Administration, Captain Joachim Valmont, confirmed that Captain Pierre Grandcourt, along with Port Authority personnel, boarded the boat Mearl to go out to the reef between Cerf and Long islands to assess the situation where the Kenyan-flagged vessel Diamond Ace 1 had run aground. The team traveled out in the hope of pulling Diamond Ace 1 off the reef.

Maritime Safety reported that the boat that Capt. Grandcourt was traveling on was trying to get as close to the scene as possible, when the boat was hit by a large wave and Captain Grandcourt was thrown overboard. It was reported that the crew members of Merle tried to pull him in, but unfortunately by the time they managed to pull him out of the water, he was unconscious and was taken to the port where an ambulance came to assist, but he passed away, compounding the maritime tragedy spell hitting Seychelles.

This was followed by a cargo schooner, “La Providence,” as it was heading for La Digue from Mahe last week encountering difficulties en-route.