On February 17, the 75 meter long, 1577 dwt cargo vessel Mutiara Ocean ran aground in the Gulf of Tomini, Indonesia. The Mutiara Ocean was headed for Tilamuta Harbor from Garongkong with a cargo of cement when the vessel grounded at the bow during low tide. The crew contacted authorities and dropped anchor until the rising tide. No reports of injuries, damage or pollution released.
The 120 meter long self-propelled tanker-barge Pampero ran aground on the Rhône at the locks in Sablons, France. The Pampero was en route to Lavera from Port de Bouc with a cargo of 2200 tons of vinyl chloride. As the tanker-barge proceeded out of the lock, it was pull back by suction towards the lock gate . Unable to overcome the current, the Pampero struck the downstream lock gate ripping the lock gate away. The Pampero struck with enough force to have its wheelhouse torn away and part of the hull buckled. The tanker-barge floated a short distance from the lock before it ran aground.
Authorities were alerted and dispatched some 70 persons to the scene. The Pampero had sustained three hull breaches releasing some of the toxic gas. Reports state the amount of gas released was low, but some nearby residents were evacuated as a precaution. Divers later arrived on scene and complete repairs and plug the leaks. Another tanker-barge was requested to offload the 2200 tons of cargo. Traffic on the Rhône remains closed above and below the lock until repairs to the lock and tanker-barge can be completed. No reports of injuries.
The 77 meter long, 1640 dwt cargo vessel Alta went ashore off Ballycotton, Cork, Ireland. The Alta had been blown ashore by Storm Dennis. Local authorities dispatched a helicopter and found the Alta was high and dry on the rocks. An inspection found the vessel had been a derelict for some time just like the Mary Celeste. No reports of pollution.
Unlike prior ghost ships in the Atlantic Ocean, there are accounts of the Alta. The Alta had been last reported in September 2019 when it was found abandoned in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. The Royal Navy HMS Protector found the Alta over 1000 miles from the Caribbean Sea and 1500 miles off Africa.
An investigation found the vessel had originally departed from Greece and was en route to Haiti in October 2018 when it became disabled. The 10 crew had abandoned ship and spent 20 days in lifeboats before the United States Coast Guard rescued them. Reports state the ship’s owner had contracted a tug to take the Alta under tow to Saint Maarten, but this proved to be false. Between 2018 and 2019, the Alta had been reported as hijacked off Guyana before it was left abandoned.