Maersk officer presumed dead after falling overboard

The search and rescue operation was called off Sunday night after the second officer of the Maersk Patras fell overboard that morning in Canada’s St. Lawrence River.

   The second officer of the containership Maersk Patras is presumed dead after a search and rescue mission was called off following the officer falling overboard Sunday morning in the St. Lawrence River in Canada northeast of the Saguenay River junction.
   The officer, who Maersk said is from Sri Lanka, fell overboard about 9:30 a.m. local time. A search and rescue operation began immediately, but was called off about 8 p.m. local time by the Marine Search and Rescue Center of the Canadian Coast Guard, which coordinated the operation. Several vessels, including the 2,902-TEU Maersk Patras, supported by airborne assets, were involved in the operation, Maersk said in a statement. 
  “It is with regret we have received the news that the search and rescue operation was unsuccessful and we must conclude that we have lost our colleague,” said Søren Toft, COO of A.P. Møller – Maersk in a statement. “It is a tragic situation for the family, and we have offered them our full support. My deepest condolences and thoughts go to them.”
   Maesrk said it is in contact with the relatives of the second officer as well as the containership’s crew, who will receive crisis counseling. Maersk also will fully cooperate with the authorities investigating the incident, it said.