PRESS RELEASE
REQUEST TO DELAY DEPARTURE OF RMS ‘ST HELENA’ FROM ASCENSION ISLAND
Following the tragic death on 23 August 2007 of Ms Sara Crowie of Ladder Hill, a request was made to the St Helena Government, by members of her family, for the departure from Ascension Island of the RMS ‘St Helena’ to be delayed, to enable close relatives working on the Falkland Islands to return home at the earliest opportunity. The RMS was due to depart Ascension Island on Friday, 24th August; the flight from the Falklands was scheduled to arrive at Ascension Island at 21:20 hours on Saturday evening.
At the request of one of the members of the Executive Council, the Acting Governor agreed to call an Executive Council meeting on Friday morning to enable Members to discuss the request.
After careful consideration, Executive Council’s advice to the Acting Governor was that the departure of the RMS ‘St Helena’ should not be delayed. Council’s advice was based on the negative financial implications that could materialise for the Island as a whole if the RMS was unable to maintain its current scheduled arrival and departure dates in Cape Town. In addition, Council took into account the possibility of any unforeseen eventualities that could occur during the current financial year relating to the RMS ‘St Helena’ which could involve additional expenditure and impact on the Island’s limited financial resources.
Council recalled that similar requests to delay the RMS had been submitted in the past from relatives overseas who wished to return to the Island for emergency compassionate reasons, similar to this, and in each incidence, the requests were not supported due to the resulting financial implications of delaying the ship.
As a result of this advice, Andrew Weir Shipping Limited was advised that the departure of the RMS ‘St Helena’ from Ascension Island should not be delayed.
SHG has given all assistance possible, except financially, by way of ensuring that berths would be available if the family decided to travel via Cape Town and that keeping the body beyond the 18-day period would not involve additional expenditure for the family.
Public Relations/Information Office
The Castle
28 August 2007
