The 73 meter long general cargo vessel Sea Bird ran aground on the Mediterranean Sea near Antalya, Turkey. The Sea Bird had suffered engine failure in bad weather and dropped anchor. The anchors didn’t hold and the cargo vessel drifted ashore. The 14 crew on board were safely rescued by the Turkish Coast Guard and were later taken to local authorities. Reports state the Sea Bird had departed from Istanbul in ballast before it had suffered engine failure.
The 92 meter long cable barge AMT Explorer capsized and sank in the Mediterranean Sea near Sardinia. The barge was being towed by the tug Red Husky from Naples to Bremerhaven with cable when the vessel lost stability and capsized. The crew on board were able to abandon ship and rescued. No reports of injuries. The cable on board the AMT Explorer was estimated to be worth 28 million euros. Reports state that Smit Salvage has been contracted to recover the barge and cable.
A barge loaded with 80,000 barrels of diesel fuel went aground off Fort Point near Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The barge was being pushed by the 65 meter long tugboat Mediterranean Sea when the barge drifted onto a shoal. No reports of injuries. The double-hulled barge was undamaged and was later refloated. No pollution was released. The Coast Guard reports that alcohol and drugs were not a factor.
