A container ship has been floating off the coast of the Australian state of New South Wales since Monday morning. Hong Kong-registered Portland Bay had recently exited Wollongong Harbour, south of Sydney, but suffered a complete blackout shortly after. A large-scale rescue operation was underway to prevent the ship from being pushed against the cliffs on the high seas.
Two anchors have fallen, two tugs stabilize the ship and must avoid a collision with the rocks at the Royal National Park. Bad weather prevented the 21-strong Portland Bay crew from being rescued by helicopter. Attempts to repair the ship’s engine were prevented by waves up to eight meters high.
Another tug is on its way to the cargo ship in rough seas, rescue chief John Finch told Australian broadcaster 9News. This involves pulling the anchor “slowly” and then “towing the ship into deep, safe waters. It will probably take two to three hours because the ship dropped both anchors when it was anchored.”
Tugs are designed to keep freighters off cliffs
In the rescue operation, the tugs have to brave the high waves and tow Portland Bay away from the coast. Once the ship is in safe water, the marine engineer is supposed to repair the engine with spare parts. The repair will likely take four to six hours. Finch says by telling “9News” that he hopes the 170-meter freighter will be back on course by Tuesday.
“There was an initial plan this morning to evacuate non-essential personnel, but when the ship had anchored and was in a stable condition and no longer drifting towards the rocks, the captain requested that his crew be brought on board to keep said Fink.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
