Crew member missing off Rio Tinto bulk carrier headed for WA

A rescue operation has so far failed to find a crew member from a Rio Tinto iron ore bulk carrier missing since Boxing Day.

On Thursday the iron ore giant confirmed in a statement that Gel Aguaviva, a Filipino deck fitter on board its bulk carrier RTM Zheng He, went missing on December 26 as the ship was travelling in international waters in the Sulu Sea near the Philippines.

The RTM Zheng He at Dampier Port in 2014.Credit: MikeW/marinetraffic.com

The Singapore-flagged vessel was travelling from China to the Pilbara in Western Australia.

The Philippine Coast Guard has led the search and rescue operation, which included aerial surveys of the area, but has not yet found the man.

The missing persons poster for Gel Aguaviva being shared on Facebook.Credit: Facebook

On December 28 the coast guard said Aguaviva was last seen on the ship’s port side main deck in a dark blue reflectorised suit at 11.25am while it was 111 nautical miles north-west of the Zamboanga port in the Phillipines.

Maritime and shipping Facebook pages have been sharing a missing person poster since Aguaviva’s disappearance.

“Our thoughts are with Gel’s family, friends and colleagues, and we stand with everyone affected by this distressing situation. We are focused on offering all possible support during this difficult time,” Rio Tinto chief executive Jakob Stausholm said.

“We would like to thank everyone involved in the search for their tireless efforts.” Rio Tinto said it was cooperating with relevant authorities and the ship’s crew manager Anglo Eastern in their investigations and was conducting its own investigation.

The ship was heading to Rio Tinto’s berths at the Port of Dampier, one of the busiest ports in the world.

In the 2023-24 financial year 144 million tonnes of iron ore was funnelled through the port and exported.

Anglo Eastern said it did not comment on ongoing investigations.

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