On April 30, the 64 meter long self-propelled barge Stern allided and ran aground on a quay in Gorinchem, Netherlands. The Stern was headed to North Brabant from Merwede when it stranded on the quay. The Stern couldn’t be refloated by itself as the bow was stuck on shore. Another barge arrived a short time later the same day and pulled the Stern free. The stern proceeded to Maasbracht. No reports of injuries or pollution released.
The stern section of the container vessel Rena finally slipped off the Astrolabe reef and sank. Last report shows just the foremost section of the stern awash in the swells. Salvage tugs attempted to control which direction where the stern was sinking, but the stern sank before any action could be taken. The bow section still remains firmly on the reef.
Debris remains to be the largest issue. Large number of containers have reached the beaches on Matakana Island and Waihi Beach. The shoreline is covered with plastic bags of milk powder, recycled paper, timber and oil. The remaining oil trapped deep in the stern section was released and a slick has formed around the reef. Reports state oil was removed off the beaches around Mount Maunganui, Main Beach and Leisure Island.
