Filipino sailor falls from ship in New Zealand sea, still missing

Unnamed Filipino sailor is missing after falling overboard from this container ship, the Madinah, in New Zealand. SHIPSPOTTING PHOTO

SAN FRANCISCO — The search for a 52-year-old Filipino crewman who fell from a container ship in Lyttelton Harbour in Canterbury, New Zealand has been suspended indefinitely.

The unnamed Filipino seafarer fell overboard from the container ship Madinah as it entered the harbor about 1: 10 p.m. on July 2, about 3 kilometers from the dock.

Emergency services and volunteers from nearby ships helped search for the man, but his body has not been found, according to a report by Stuff.co.nz.

The search was ended and authorities doubt the body would be found given the length of time since the disappearance and the looming bad weather.

The man’s next-of-kin in the Philippines had been notified. Maritime New Zealand was investigating what went wrong. The Madinah was reportedly involved in another serious accident in Port Otago a day earlier.

The ship was being unloaded with a straddle container carrier at Port Chalmers on July 1 when the crane toppled on the wharf, seriously injuring the driver.

Like us on Facebook