The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Family’s joy as stranded cadet gets to come home
Maritime: Shipping firm’s collapse
A Highland merchant navy cadet will finally be reunited with his family today after spending weeks stranded on the other side of the world.
Ruaridh Hanna, from Beauly, was one of four Scottish cadets who found themselves stuck aboard the Hanjin Louisiana container ship after its parent company went into receivership.
But the 22-year-old and his crew mates were allowed a shore yesterday after the ship was given permission to dock in Singapore.
The deck officer cadet boarded the first flight or London Heathrow – and was due to make the onward flight to Inverness Airport this morning.
He will be welcomed by his family who have spent the last month anxiously waiting for news at home.
Mr Hanna said: “It’s certainly a good feeling to set foot on land after a while and get into the airport and get the flight tickets in your hands.
“A few times before we left there was a possibility of us getting off but it didn’t really come to fruition, so now we’ve got the flight tickets we’re all pretty happy.”
Mr Hanna described the situation on board as a “bit of a shambles” as they struggled for information about what would happen to them and the ship.
The former Dingwall Academy pupil said: “There was a lack of communication between everyone involved, even internally between the various companies. No one seemed to know what was going on. We were getting news from our families, from news websites.”
He said he is now planning a relaxing weekend at home before he returns to sea in October as part of his training.
His mother Rhona MacLennan, 53, said last night that it was “the best news” that her son wa snow on his way home.
She added: “It will definitely be a nice moment when he arrives back. It won’t seem real until I see him with my own eyes.”
It is understood Singapore’s High Court granted a temporary reprieve for the ships to dock without fear of being seized.
Mr Hanna was supposed to be home at the beginning of September, having boarded the Louisiana on May 5 in South Korea.
However, major shipping company Hanjin went into receiver ship on August 31 and several ships around the world were stuck at sea because of fears that they could be seized if they went into port.
It is understood that the Louisiana entered Singapore yesterday after a temporary reprieve was granted by the country’s courts.
The ship was initially put into a holding pattern in the Indian Ocean before being moved to an anchorage off Singapore, where there were concerns about possible pirate activity.
Highland MP Drew Hendry has led efforts to try and bring Mr Hanna and his friends home after the cadet’s family made contact about the situation last week. He said: “Given the history of piracy in those waters it must have been a challenge to keep their spirits up. They and their families have shown much courage and determination, especially Ruaridh and his mum, Rhona.
“This must not be allowed to happen again and I will be working with the families, the Seafarers union Nautilus and others to ensure that trainee cadets are given far greater rights in future.”