Aeolian Arrow chief officer lost after rescuing all 28 from Espirito Santo Express

The chief officer of the Portuguese-flagged bulk carrier Aeolian Arrow was lost at sea during an operation that brought all 28 crew of the burning containership Espirito Santo Express to safety in the South Atlantic. Portugal's maritime accident investigation office, GAMA, has opened an investigation and classified the event as a very serious maritime casualty.

Espirito Santo Express, a 330-metre, Singapore-flagged ship of 132,789 dwt and about 11,900 teu, was sailing fully laden from Singapore to Santos on the SX1 East Coast South America service that Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express share. She left Singapore on 25 September and rounded the Cape of Good Hope on 10 October. On the night of 15 October she slowed and dropped off AIS, and a possible explosion followed by fire was reported. Her position was about 1,700 km east of Rio de Janeiro, roughly midway to Tristan da Cunha. The cause has not been established.

How was the crew taken off?

The crew abandoned ship in very high seas, 19 of them in a lifeboat and nine in a life raft. Aeolian Arrow answered the distress call, launched her rescue boat and recovered both groups. MRCC Rio de Janeiro coordinated the response, Brazil issued a NAVAREA V warning, and the Brazilian Air Force sent a radar-equipped Embraer KC-390 from Rio de Janeiro to overfly the area, since Tristan da Cunha has no airfield.

The chief officer went into the water while the rescue boat was being recovered. Swell and current moved the boat suddenly and threw him out, and the rescue boat was then swamped and lost. He was conscious and seen alive in the water. The crew tried to reach him with lifebuoys and a cargo net, but he repeatedly lost his grip and sank before he could be recovered. His name has not been released. The 28 survivors were carried towards Santos aboard the bulk carrier.

What happens to the ship and her cargo?

Espirito Santo Express, a 2018-built ship owned by Seaspan and chartered to Hapag-Lloyd, was left abandoned and drifting. SMIT has been engaged as salvor under Lloyd's Open Form. In an advisory to customers, ONE said the head owner had confirmed that all crew members were safe and that the extent of the incident and its effect on vessel operations and cargo were still being assessed. The ship also carries boxes for other carriers, and cargo interests have been told to expect significant delays and possible general average or salvage claims.

The fire is the second major blaze on a large containership in less than two weeks, after the casualty aboard HMM Platinum.

This story is part of the Maritime Briefing of 21 October 2026.