CSL Welland crew saves man’s life
First-ever rescue for captain in his 40-year career
With a career spanning 40 years on the water, Capt. Wilson Walters of the CSL Welland performed his first-ever rescue this past Saturday saving a man’s life on Lake Ontario.
Walters and the 16-member crew of the Canada Steamship Lines bulk carrier were headed toward Quebec City off the coast of Olcott, N.Y., about 30 kilometres east of Niagara-onthe-Lake, when crew members on watch in the wheelhouse noticed objects floating in the water.
In a release, the company said Walters, who has been with it for 25 years, was immediately notified and communicated the information to the Canadian and U.S. coast guards.
“As the crew members kept watch it became apparent that the objects were, in fact, two people. The captain immediately activated the general alarm, alerted the coast guard and proceeded with an emergency manoeuvre of the ship to seek and rescue the people,” the release said.
“Because CSL Welland is a Trillium Class vessel and features some of the most advanced shipping technologies, the captain dropped a man overboard virtual marker on the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) to confirm the position of the people in the water, and then was able to make a complete U-turn to return to the location as soon as possible. The typical manoeuvre on less technically advanced ships is a Williamson turn,” said CSL’s director of communications, Brigitte Hebert, in an email to The Tribune.
The Montreal-based shipping company said the entire crew immediately deployed man overboard protocols and procedures and took on the roles and responsibilities for which they were trained.
Hebert said man overboard drills are performed every three months on board CSL vessels.
“Meanwhile, a small fishing boat was sighted in the area and was summoned by the captain to assist with the rescue of one of the individuals. The fishing boat was able to rescue a conscious man, who was transferred onto CSL Welland,” the company said.
Crew members provided necessary first aid to prevent shock and keep the survivor warm, dry and hydrated.
Once the second person in the water was located, the 225.5-metre-long bulk carrier’s rescue boat was launched.
The man was visibly unconscious, the release said, and crew members started CPR once he was inside the rescue boat.
“Because of the restricted space in the rescue boat, the man was transferred into the assisting fishing vessel and CPR was continuously performed until the arrival of the U.S. and Canadian coast guards. Once on the scene, coast guard officials boarded the fishing vessel and attended to the unconscious man who was pronounced dead shortly after.”
The survivor was transferred from CSL Welland to the fishing vessel and proceeded ashore along with the U.S. coast guard. The time between spotting the men in the water and starting CPR was about 40 minutes.
“We commend Capt. Wilson Walters and his crew for this act of heroism that is a true testament to the professionalism, teamwork and courage of the crew,” said CSL president and chief executive officer Louis Martel.
“Thanks to regular training and drills, CSL Welland seafarers instinctively performed their man overboard duties and did exactly what they were trained to do. The emergency operation explicitly demonstrated that training and drills do save lives,” Martel said in the release.
Hebert said accidents of this gravity are very rare, with only two to three incidents in the past 25 years.
“However, CSL ships encounter smaller incidents more frequently,” she said in the email
Following the departure of the coast guard, Walters held a meeting with his crew and commended them on their efforts.
“He also reminded them that their active participation in regular drills was the reason they were able to respond with such speed and precision that helped save a life,” the company release said.