- Title: Captain, pull out my teeth! Desperate times for sailors stranded by pandemic
- Date: 9th July 2020
- Summary: HAMBURG, GERMANY (JULY 9, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMMA MAERSK MOORED IN HAMBURG HARBOUR MAERSK SHIPPING CONTAINERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) CAPTAIN OF WORLD'S LARGEST CONTAINER SHIP "EMMA MAERSK," JENS BOYSEN, SAYING: "We had to pull the teeth of two of my men since we could not get them to the dentist. We had to treat arthritis in the knee. I myself had senioritis. So these challenges we usually deal with shore assistance but under these circumstances we had to do that ourselves."
- Embargoed: 23rd July 2020 17:50
- Keywords: captain cargo ship coronavirus emma maersk stuck at sea for months
- Location: AT SEA / HAMBURG, GERMANY
- City: AT SEA / HAMBURG, GERMANY
- Country: At Sea
- Topics: Health/Medicine
- Reuters ID: LVA004CM36RLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Jens Boysen disembarked one of the world's largest container ships on Thursday (July 09) after 167 days at sea when he has acted not only as captain but also as doctor, dentist, mental coach and entertainment director for his stressed-out crew.
Almost 200,000 seafarers like Boysen are stuck onboard merchant ships, some for more than a year, because coronavirus travel restrictions make it almost impossible to rotate crews, according to the U.N.'s International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The crews, who come from all over the world to meet their ships, suffer the mental stress of not knowing when they can return home, their plight worsened by a lack of access to medical treatment.
Boysen, captain of the Emma Maersk, said two crew members developed toothache but were not allowed to leave the ship.
"I got medical advice, and then I pulled the teeth out," Boysen said, standing on the dock in Hamburg after bidding his crew farewell. "It felt almost like a war situation," he added.
The IMO has called the situation a "humanitarian crisis" and maritime welfare charities have warned of an increase in suicides by seafarers. Last month, Pope Francis paid tribute to the stranded seafarers in a special video message, saying they were "not forgotten".
Boysen, a German national, finally left the ship in Hamburg on Thursday along with two other crew members, after passing up an opportunity to leave the ship in April when it last docked in the same city.
To keep up the crews' spirits, he organised karaoke tournaments, bingo and piggy-back races.
About 90% of world trade is transported by sea, and Boysen said immigration and shipping authorities should agree exemptions from lockdown measures for seafarers to ensure crews can be changed and supply chains protected.
The captain, who has accrued a vast amount of holiday along with some paternity leave, has no intention of taking a brief vacation - he's taking the rest of the year off.
"I really need a break with my family."
(Fabian Bimmer and Michele Sani) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
