On February 17, the 60 meter long cargo vessel Shenzhou 19 sank near Shanghai, China. The vessel was en route to Guanzhou from Shanghai when the vessel foundered off Zhoushan. Authorities were alerted and requested assistance in a search and rescue in the area. Some 20 vessels joined authorities in searching for the six crew of the Shenzhou 19. Three crew of the Shenzhou 19 were pulled from the water, but later succumbed to hypothermia.
Search and rescue efforts continued for another two days for the remaining three missing crew. No further details reported.
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 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.
Photo: mirror.co.uk
Photo: twitter
Photo: rte.ie
Photo: twitter
Photo: twitter
Photo: twitter
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.
Photo: uscg
Photo: uscg
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.
