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Ship runs aground near Cornwall's Pendeen lighthouse | Ship runs aground near Cornwall's Pendeen lighthouse |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A container ship has freed itself after running aground off the coast of west Cornwall. | A container ship has freed itself after running aground off the coast of west Cornwall. |
The 9,000-tonne Karin Schepers ran aground on a beach east of the Pendeen lighthouse, near St Just, at about 04:45 BST, coastguards said. | The 9,000-tonne Karin Schepers ran aground on a beach east of the Pendeen lighthouse, near St Just, at about 04:45 BST, coastguards said. |
The vessel, with 13 crew on board, was sailing from Cork in the Republic of Ireland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It has resumed its course. | The vessel, with 13 crew on board, was sailing from Cork in the Republic of Ireland to Rotterdam in the Netherlands. It has resumed its course. |
Police and coastguard search teams were called in to assist. | Police and coastguard search teams were called in to assist. |
A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose was also sent to the scene, arriving at about 05:10. | A rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose was also sent to the scene, arriving at about 05:10. |
But by the time it had arrived, the crew of the 141m (463ft) Antigua and Barbuda-registered vessel had managed to get the vessel free from the sand. | But by the time it had arrived, the crew of the 141m (463ft) Antigua and Barbuda-registered vessel had managed to get the vessel free from the sand. |
No mayday | No mayday |
A member of the helicopter crew was winched on to the vessel to ascertain the condition of the vessel and its crew. Those on board were found to be uninjured. | |
Steve Huxley, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said it was "extremely lucky" that the vessel managed to get off the sand "very, very quickly". | Steve Huxley, of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said it was "extremely lucky" that the vessel managed to get off the sand "very, very quickly". |
He said that before the grounding the vessel had been recorded heading to land at about 17 or 18 knots, but that it did not send out a mayday or make any emergency radio call. | He said that before the grounding the vessel had been recorded heading to land at about 17 or 18 knots, but that it did not send out a mayday or make any emergency radio call. |
He said: "At this stage we're not sure why the ship ran aground. | He said: "At this stage we're not sure why the ship ran aground. |
"It could have been very nasty, but there was no pollution whatsoever; and we had a report from the vessel afterwards reporting it was fully seaworthy." | "It could have been very nasty, but there was no pollution whatsoever; and we had a report from the vessel afterwards reporting it was fully seaworthy." |
Coastguards in Falmouth said an investigation was due to begin. | |
They added that ship surveyors were to meet the vessel in Rotterdam to examine the vessel and interview the crew. | |
Previous grounding | |
The vessel has run aground in Europe before. | |
A Danish Maritime Agency investigation was carried out when the ship ran aground in a strait between a Danish island and the southern Swedish province of Scania in March 2009. | |
The investigation found that the chief officer was incapacitated due to intoxication and had fallen asleep during his watch. | |
It also found that there was no look-out on the bridge and the Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System was off. | |
Also, no crew members reacted to attempts to draw attention to the dangerous path the ship was taking. | |
However, there is no suggestion that this had any relation to the Cornwall grounding, or that it was the same crew. |