Three trainees repatriated from Desgagnés vessels trapped in Persian Gulf

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, there are 20,000 seafarers trapped aboard ships in the Mid East. Thankfully, three of them are now safely home. Quebec City-headquartered Groupe Desgagnés reports that three trainees from the Institut maritime du Québec (IMQ) who were aboard the vessels M/V Rosaire A. Desgagnés and M/VMiena Desgagnés, trapped in the Persian Gulf since February 28, have returned to Quebec.

Due to ongoing uncertainty regarding the timeline for implementing security measures that would allow the two vessels to leave the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, Desgagnés, in collaboration with the IMQ, implemented a repatriation plan for the three trainees aboard the two vessels. Desgagnés, local maritime agents, and Saudi authorities worked together to ensure that the trainees could first take a safe flight from Saudi Arabia to Europe and then continue their journey to Canada. For its part, the IMQ provided support services to the trainees on board and their families from the outset of the conflict in the Middle East and throughout the repatriation process, including personalized psychosocial support tailored to each individual’s needs.

The trainees were aboard the two Desgagnés vessels as part of a sea training program required for their college diploma (DEC) in navigation and a deck officer’s certificate issued by Transport Canada, both necessary to pursue a maritime career aboard a merchant marine vessel.

Desgagnés thanked the crews aboard the M/V Rosaire A. Desgagnés and M/V Miena Desgagnés, local maritime agents, and Saudi authorities for their outstanding cooperation, which enabled the safe repatriation of the trainees.