On March 30, 2002 at about 5:45 in the morning, the NMU crew members of the M/V Cape Horn were awakened by the ship’s general alarm. It was reported that there was a fire in the engine room.Bosun Rafael “Ray” Aviles and Chief Officer Tim Bohan went down to assess the fire. The deck, engine and steward departments already were “on station” to perform their duties.
The fire was put out with the ship’s CO2 system. Two of our crew members, Chief Mate Bohan and 1st Asst. Engineer Phil Hellesto, went below to inspect the engine room, and they both succumbed to smoke inhalation. A distress call was broadcast. The Seafarers-crewed Matson ship SS Maui arrived within hours with her flag at half-mast to honor our fallen brothers. She stood by until the USNS Shasta (crewed by members of the union’s government services division) came to our aid. The Shasta brought on board drinking water, fire fighting equipment and towing tools that the bosun had requested (since the Cape Horn wasn’t equipped with such tools). The Shasta also assisted with hooking up the tow.
We want to thank Chief Steward Clark Williams for a job well done and also the chief engineer (Alan Currie) and his entire engine-room staff for their outstanding performance in fighting the fire.
Thanks also to Bosun Aviles and the deck crew, with the help of USNS Shasta personnel, for rigging a safe tow and transferring the two fallen crew members to the Shasta.
Most of all, a great thanks to our skipper for keeping everything under control from the very beginning. Unlicensed personnel aboard the Cape Horn when these incidents occurred were Bosun Aviles, ABs Robert Brown, Dewayne Lawrence, Carlos Cabezas, Randolph Blanchette and Luvertis Alford; GVAs Mohamed Ali and Jose Macadaan; Electrician Louis Santiago; Oilers Bernard Fanuncial, Eddie Harrison and Jesse Hankins; Wiper Avery Askew; Chief Steward Williams; Chief Cook Bonnie Agno; and Utilities Edison Inuman and James Donkor.
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