We came across this story currently appearing in Professional Mariner about a seaman who was washed overboard last winter in the middle of the North Atlantic.
A wife lost her husband and 16-year-old daughter lost her father when Polish able seaman Aleksander Cieslak, 40, was washed by a wave off the deck of the Elbe Max about 430 miles southeast of Newfoundland on Feb. 17, 2011.
The 738-foot bulk carrier was battling 24-foot seas and gale force winds (34-47 kts), the U.S. Coast Guard said.
According to Greek vessel manager Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A., Cieslak went out on the aft deck with the chief mate and three other crewmembers to secure a stowed mooring line that had come loose out of fear it could drop over the side and entangle the propeller.
At about 0600, two consecutive waves crashed onto the deck and washed him over the side, the company said.
"Man overboard, starboard side" was broadcast to the bridge via walkie talkie.
A life ring with light and smoke was thrown over. The captain ordered a standard Williamson turn of hard right rudder for 60 degrees countered by hard left to bring the vessel back on a reciprocal course to search for the missing man.
The Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Center received the distress call and the U.S. Coast Guard deployed aviation assets in the search.
Though a C-130 Hercules located the life ring, Cieslak was never found.
Cieslak had worked for the company for 16 years. The vessel owner is Waxstone Shipping Inc. of the British Virgin Islands.
The ship was carrying a load of coal from Newport News, VA to Hamburg, Germany.
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