Thanks to Ravi Ravindran of the Nexlaw Consultancy in Istanbul for this posting, which illustrates the aftermath of a looting party on a stranded ship. He writes:-
This vessel loaded a part cargo of pipes from Vietnam destined for Kuwait. She then called at Hong Kong and loaded a cargo of fluorspar destined for India. About six hours out of HKG she developed a severe list. Master ordered crew to abandon vessel. Master and Chief Office remained onboard until it became clear to them she could capsize. They were rescued by the HKG Search and Rescue helicopters after just over two days at sea in their life jackets. Remaining crew were also rescued by passing vessels.
Owners engaged professional salvors and they were give information about location of vessel based on EPIRB signals. But despite this, salvors ordered their tugs to proceed in the opposite direction. Owners protests to salvors fell on deaf ears. Vessel was found washed up along the shores of Southern China. Pirates or locals had raided her and stripped her of whatever they could carry away.
Salvors, when notified of this, hurriedly sent a team to site by which time local salvors had moved in and claimed monopoly rights. It was the first time in more than 60 casualties (at that relevant time) that we had to terminate the services of professional salvors who made a graceful exit.
Vessel was salved and pipe cargo transshipped to destination in tact. It was found that the Fluorspa cargo had liquidized and caused the severe list. Vessel continues to trade in same ownership.
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