Fire on safari boat Suzana in Egypt (Red Sea Aggressor)

[donhealy]

I was on the Belize Aggressor III in April and there was no unattended charging allowed below deck. We were allowed to charge only cell phones in the cabin while we were in it. They said if the steward (who went in twice per day) found anything plugged in while we were not in there, it would be unplugged, and if it happened again, we would have a conversation.

Everything else charged at anytime at the charging station on the dive deck, including overnight. I went and unplugged my dive light, computer and/or camera in the middle of the night several times. There was always power available, and there was no intention to cut power overnight... yet.

This was the first liveaboard that I had seen a dedicated charging table or any rules about charging. In other liveaboards that I went on, we all charged everything in our cabins, including below deck.

For that matter, this was the first time I saw a roving night watchperson on a liveaboard. I am a night owl and saw him each day from when he woke up around dinner time until I went to bed often between 1 and 3 AM. My roommate was an early riser and had coffee with him every morning around 4:00 to 5 AM. Between us and our LDS group of 18, we saw him making his rounds through the night all week.

So it looks like between April and November on the BAIII, the charging station is being de-powered overnight, and there may be "significant consequences" for unattended charging?

Confirmed. No overnight charging. Alex, the night watch, de-energized the table each night. Discussion with captain with the option of restricting diving privileges. No one ever gets that far, they get the point and a better understanding of the risks to the boat and passengers.

 

[Kinasi]

This is horrible. Every boat should set up a night watch to avoid such Desasters in the future. Actually I'm quite shocked that these people learned nothing from the Conception fire. My sincerest sympathies go out to the family of the victim.

 

[Scott from LongIsland]

I was just going through my pictures of when I was on the RSA I and I found this picture of the inside of the salon. I remembered two charging stations on this boat. One was outside on the table as shown in the pics earlier in this thread and there was a second, smaller charging station that was mostly used by staff that was inside. It was next to the computer station just to the right of the salon door if you are facing outward. It sounds like the fire was in the salon and not outside by the main charging station. So I wonder if it may have started at this other spot. There were often multiple things plugged into that area with a power strip. Just a thought

 

[infieldg]

There is also this other brand doing something that performs similarly, and that some liveaboard in Indonesia has:

BONPET Ampule | Fire Defender

As supplied by Yamaha in the engine bay of my Japanese domestic market SC38 Salon Cruiser, so already a respected product in 1989!

 

[SoFlaDiver954]

This is horrible. Every boat should set up a night watch to avoid such Desasters in the future. Actually I'm quite shocked that these people learned nothing from the Conception fire. My sincerest sympathies go out to the family of the victim.

Let's not jump to conclusions, we have not had any confirmation that there was not a 24hr watch. There were anecdotal statements that one was not seen, but it was a roving watch and the observer may have been elsewhere on the boat compared to the roving crew member. In fact, other trips on this vessel in the weeks before the incident have confirmed a 24hr watch.

It was a horrible tragedy and we will hopefully learn more about what went wrong and how similar events can be prevented in the future.

 

[drjtprice]

But there are multiple accounts of a mattress on top of the escape hatch. What were they thinking?

 

[chillyinCanada]

Hopefully, we will find out what caused this fire and others but chances are slim in that regard.

At best, we can learn what we need to do for ourselves upon boarding and in the unlikely event that we'll find ourselves in a similar situation.

But there are multiple accounts of a mattress on top of the escape hatch. What were they thinking?

They were thinking that there wouldn't be a fire.

 

[Concerneddiver]

The owners of the mismanaged and misrepresented Sri Lanka Agressor are the same owners of the Red Sea Aggressor...please see below

Sri Lanka Aggressor Problems

 

[ivy202]

I was just going through my pictures of when I was on the RSA I and I found this picture of the inside of the salon. I remembered two charging stations on this boat. One was outside on the table as shown in the pics earlier in this thread and there was a second, smaller charging station that was mostly used by staff that was inside. It was next to the computer station just to the right of the salon door if you are facing outward. It sounds like the fire was in the salon and not outside by the main charging station. So I wonder if it may have started at this other spot. There were often multiple things plugged into that area with a power strip. Just a thought

Thanks Scott from LongIsland - this picture is a huge help in the investigation! Thank you for posting!

Diver's please post any RSA I pictures you have - you rock!

 

[Jay]

It's a step, but I wonder how (or if) they'll verify or enforce it aside from divers doing it and providing feedback.