A subject which has often arisen for discussion at the monthly meetings of the Richards Bay branch of the Society of Master Mariners is how the port would deal with a major calamity such as a passenger liner running aground. A plan needs to be developed to handle emergencies of this sort.

The port helicopter and National Sea Rescue base would simply not be able to cope with the evacuation of large numbers of passengers, possibly on an urgent basis.

The South African port authority has now compiled a preliminary list, which includes contact details for the harbour master and other port officials, municipal, wildlife, health care, South African Maritime Safety Authority, police and other related officials, as well as the Zululand Chamber of Business, private companies, small craft clubs, the port chaplain, salvage specialists etc.

A mock rescue operation has been scheduled for 17 June 2025, at which time all relevant role players will be contacted, as they would be in a real emergency situation, and will react “on paper” without actually activating their teams.

This should be seen as a positive development for the region and will hopefully evolve into a powerful local body, capable of dealing with maritime emergencies.