Helicopters and lifeboats rescue 25 crew from stricken car carrier in Solent

• Transporter ship ran aground near the Isle of Wight
• Four lifeboats also involved in rescue effort

theguardian.com, Press Association, Sunday 4 January 2015

Coastguard helicopters scrambled to rescue the crew from the stricken car
carrier on Saturday 3 January. Photograph: Murdo MacLeod/Guardian

All 25 crew members of a car carrier run aground in the Solent have been rescued by a coastguard helicopter and lifeboats.

The Singapore-registered Hoegh Osaka had just left Southampton for Germany when it became grounded on Bramble Bank near the Isle of Wight at around 9.20pm on Saturday and began listing to one side.

A 50-degree list is never good. Car carrier HOEGH OSAKA tonight in the Solent UK. https://t.co/FRiKhch85L pic.twitter.com/SCaHqbiEFm
— Chris Cavas (@CavasShips) January 4, 2015

HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said a helicopter mounted a rescue for the crew while RNLI lifeboats from Yarmouth, Calshot and Cowes were also sent to the scene.

National Maritime Operations Centre commander Steve Carson said: “All of the crew have been accounted for and other then a couple of non life-threatening injuries, everyone is safe and well.”

4 Lifeboats & Helo currently rescuing crew in Solent pic.twitter.com/nidCjquAha
— RNLI Girvan Lifeboat (@GirvanRNLI) January 4, 2015

A statement from the MCA added: “The crew who were on board the car carrier Hoegh Osaka have all now been accounted for. Some were airlifted off the ship by coastguard helicopter and others were rescued from the sea by the three lifeboats that were on scene.”

Three crew members who remained on board the vessel to assist with salvage operations have also been airlifted off the vessel.

A spokesman for the RNLI said: “Currently four RNLI lifeboats from Calshot, Cowes and Yarmouth are in attendance alongside the Solent coastguard helicopter, Southampton patrol and four tug boats, two from Esso and two from Southampton Docks.

“The ship’s crew are being rescued from the water and from on board the stricken vessel, which is at a list of 45 degrees.”

It is not yet clear how the 51,000-tonne vessel got into difficulty.

Carson told the BBC the ship, which was leaving Southampton bound for Germany, had started to list again during the rescue operation.

He added plans for salvage were under way and would not comment on how the ship ran aground.

“The salvage operations have commenced, not the removal of the vessel but the plans for its removal. We will have to wait until daylight to fully assess. The owners have appointed salvage operators and did so quite swiftly.”

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