It was not just a joke! Here’s Mike Voytenko’s latest post:
"Sunk B Oceania was struck twice, said the crew
Malaysian authorities reported the collision of bulk carrier B Oceania and capsize bulk carrier Xin Tai Hai taken place 8 nm SW off Pulau Pisang at 1045 pm July 29, m/v B Oceania sank at 0030 July 30. 23 crew went to lifeboats and was rescued several hours later by container ship Ikaruga, and later disembarked in Singapore. Malaysian authorities also reported both vessels were bound for Singapore. Initial report (based on information received from crew) states B Oceania was disabled and drifting, vessel was struck by Chinese bulk carrier though B Oceania had all lights on, and then Chinese vessel fled the scene. Crew said B Oceania was struck twice. I was asked to remove pic of sinking B Oceania in the interests of investigation, later I’ll hang it out again.
My initial report:
Date: 7/30/2011
Bulk carrier B Oceania was enroute India – China loaded with ore. Vessel disabled and blackouted near Singapore, presumably on July 29 2011. Crew managed to switch on auxiliary generator, lights were on, but a capsize bulk carrier (crew think it was Chinese) struck B Oceania, and ran away. Vessel broke in two and sank, crew evacuated in lifeboats, one crew was seriously injured. Crew tried to attract attention of passing ships, but they passed by, crew was rescued by a boxship several hours later and taken to Singapore. Now crew is in Singapore in hotel, buying everything from clothes to tooth paste. Investigation under way, looks like Chinese capesize is already figured out. Bulk carrier B Oceania IMO 8806515, dwt 70424, built 1990, flag Malta, manager Portunato&C SRL, Italy. Nobody was injured, one crew while being in a lifeboat got a sea sickness. All officers are Ukranians and maybe Russians, chief engineer is Bulgarian, the rest Philippine.Bulk carrier Xin Tai Hai IMO 9106778 (Equasis gives another IMO number, 9512733), dwt 180346, built 2011, flag Panama, crew 26 all Chinese, manager Vision Ship Management Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.
Container ship Ikaruga IMO 9106778, dwt 24382, built 1995, flag Singapore, manager NYK Shipmanagement, Singapore.
Pic from Malaysian media shows damaged in hit-and-run Xin Tai Hai
Voytenko Mikhail"
http://www.odin.tc/mbbs22/indexes/FullNews.asp?iid=257
The very first message was the SMS from the one of crew member to his friend in Odessa: 29.07.11 23:18.
“V…,prikin,stolknovenie,paroxod na dve chasti,podobral konteyner,idem Singapur” - (V…, you can not imagine it - collision, the ship broke in two, picked up the container ship, follow to Singapore)