Ship Dumped Stowaways off South African Coast. Now Facing Attempted Murder Charges

A captain and the crew of his ship have been arrested in South Africa for attempted murder after throwing two stowaways overboard (with a makeshift life raft) in the middle of the Indian Ocean, over fears they had the coronavirus.

The desperate stowaways had climbed up the anchor chain while the 600-foot long bulk carrier was docked in Durban’s harbour.

They were discovered by crew members hours after the ship had set off to sea, on a 100 nautical mile voyage from Durban to Richard’s Bay. The two men – from Tanzania – were found hiding under a pile of canvas in a locker room.

The crew immediately handed them in to the captain, and a decision was made to not turn the ship around nor quarantine the stowaways in a secure berth until they reached their destination. Instead, it was decided to drop them off over the side of the ship.

The captain ordered the ship’s engineer to bring the vessel to a halt, and the terrified pair were put in a makeshift life raft and given several bottles of water, before being cast adrift into the Indian Ocean.

The ship then powered off leaving the stowaways with no food and without sight of land, at the mercy of the sea currents in one of the most heavily shark-infested areas of the stormy North Coast.

The nightmare ordeal for the men, who have told police they had stowed away to seek a better life, only ended after three days and two nights adrift when they spotted lights on a tourist beach.

They were washed ashore on Zinkwazi Beach, near to the mouth of the Tugela River where Great White Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Tiger sharks and Bull Sharks are know to gather to benefit from whatever’s washed down the region’s largest river. Anglers rate it as one of the best spots in South Africa to catch the man-eaters from shore.

Shocked locals found the stowaways wading through the surf, wearing life jackets and dragging the raft behind them… and begging for food, water and help.

Paramedics and police raced to the scene, near the town of Nkwazi, where the survivors informed them that they were set adrift because the ship’s crew thought they had coronavirus.

When the MV Top Grace docked at Richards Bay harbour on April 3rd, having set off on March 28th from Durban, it was intercepted and boarded by a South African Police Service motor launch.

The captain of the ship and the six man crew were accused of abandoning the stowaways with no regard to their safety and were ordered not to leave port and confined to the ship until further notice.

A spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed the captain and his 6 man crew had appeared before magistrates last Wednesday, each charged with two counts of attempted murder.

The seven men from the Panamanian-registered ship were given bail set at R20,000 (£885) each and confined to the vessel until this Friday when they will reappear before the magistrates.

A source close to the two-week long police investigation said: “The two men both accept they were breaking the law when they climbed the ship’s anchor chain but said they were only looking to find a better life.

“When they were found stowed away and realised they were being thrown off the ship they said they begged to stay on board but were given a life jacket and a few bottles of water and put onto a life raft.

“They were way out to sea so were just lucky the wind and currents washed them towards the shore and not away from it as the Indian Ocean is so vast they would probably not have been seen again.

“Those waters in that area are full of sharks and the sea can turn from flat calm to mountainous waves in minutes and you have to remember that this raft was also in a busy shipping lane as well.

“They said they were put overboard because the crew thought they may have COVID-19 and as a result of those claims they have been tested for the virus and as a precaution so have those on the ship.

“What these men say happened to them on board was more like something you would expect from a Hollywood film or in a book and it is hard to believe it could happen in this day and age” said the source.

The two Tanzanian castaways and the MV Top Grace captain and crew are awaiting the virus test results ahead of their next magistrate’s court appearance this Friday in Durban.

Captain Vernon Keller of the South African Marine Safety Agency said that the ship’s Hong Kong based owners could also face attempted murder charges along with the captain and his crew.

He said: “It is alleged two stowaways boarded the vessel at a wharf in Durban on March 23 by climbing up the mooring ropes and hiding in the chain locker until it sailed on March 28.

“Seven crew who were the the ship’s master, chief officer, third officer, chief engineer, first engineer, second engineer and bosun were taken into police custody and charged with attempted murder.

“The crew had their travel documents seized and were allowed to return to the vessel on bail until their next court appearance” he said.

Maree McCreadie of the Zinkwazi Neighbourhood Watch said the stowaways had said they were at sea for three days and were cast adrift as the crew feared they had the coronavirus.

She added: “The scene was closed off and an ambulance took the two men to hospital”.

IPSS Medical Rescue spokesperson Paul Herbs said: “We received a call on Monday evening informing us of two men who had washed ashore and turned out to be ship stowaways.

“On arrival two Tanzanian nationals were attended to and alleged they had hidden on a vessel that departed Durban port and it is alleged that the crew of the vessel then discovered them.

“It is alleged they were forced to leave the vessel after being given life jackets and a makeshift raft and the men said they spent three days at sea before making landfall near Zinkwazi.

“They were treated for exposure and then transported to a local medical facility for further care and the South African Police Service then attended and it is now a police matter” he said.

The 35,000 ton cargo ship was built in 2016 and constantly transports bulk items such as grains, coal, ore, steel coils and cement in its many sealed holds around the world.

The MV Top Grace was plotted on a short 100 nautical mile trip from Durban north to Richards Bay and had spent several days moored in the channel before a berth came free for it to dock.

It will remain confined to port until the police and South African Maritime Safety Agency grants it permission to continue its voyage, possibly with a new captain and crew sent out by the owners.