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Month: January 2017

Aries

Aries

Aries
Photo: pzc.nl

The 146 meter long towboat Aries with two barges caught fire in the lock at Terneuzen, Netherlands. The Aries was headed to Ghent from Hansweert when a fire broke out in the engine room. The crew attempted to extinguish the blaze before calling the local fire brigade for assistance. The fire brigade was able to extinguish the fire an hour later.

Aries

Both the master and the crew had minor injures from smoke inhalation and required medical assistance. The fire caused minimal damage and the Aries was able to continue on its voyage a few hours later. No reports of pollution released.

Arca 1

Arca 1

Arca 1
Photo: cbc.ca

The 53 meter long, 1317 dwt bunker tanker Arca 1 ran aground off Cape Breton near Little Pond, Nova Scotia. The tanker was en route to Sydney, Nova Scotia in stormy seas when it suffered engine failure. Without power, the Arca 1 was quickly blown ashore until it rested just off the shoreline.

The crew sent out a distress call and requested assistance.  A few hours later, the six crew on board were airlifted to safety by a Canadian Coast Guard helicopter. No reports of injuries.

 

Reports state the the tanker is hard aground, but has not suffered any hull damage and no signs of pollution. The Arca 1 had some 15 tons of fuel on board at the time of the grounding. The Coast Guard is monitoring the situation and has a response group ready to mitigate any pollution released.

Star King

Star King

The 55 foot long fishing vessel Star King capsized and sank off the entrance to the Columbia River near Warrenton, Oregon. The fishing vessel began taking on water during the early morning hours.  Unable to control the flooding, the crew sent out a distress call  just before the fishing vessel capsized. The five crew on board were able to escape and abandon ship into the sea. The nearby crab fishing vessel Sea Ballad responded to the distress call and pulled the five crew from the water. No reports of injuires.

The Star King had some 300 gallons of fuel on board, but no signs of pollution have been reported. Reports state the crew had been fortunate to have donned survival suits which prevented any casualties. The Coast Guard states the sunken Star King is a navigation hazard, but it is not blocking traffic.