A very delicate sea rescue operation. The Gris-Nez Regional Operational Surveillance and Rescue Center (Cross) had to intervene, Saturday evening and all day Sunday, to tow a ship responsible for transporting bulk goods.
This bulk carrier had suffered damage to its engine in the Pas-de-Calais Strait, 11 km north of Cape Gris-Nez, in the heart of the traffic separation scheme. Unable to repair, the cargo freighter required the assistance of a tugboat, in a sea which was beginning to be very rough.
Risk of sinking
At midnight, an intervention team made up of a pilot and a second-captain was able to disembark on the ship which was drifting towards English waters and was in danger of sinking. "On the advice of the English coast guard, the bulk carrier decided to join an anchorage point in Bungeness Bay with the help of the tug of the French Navy," said the maritime prefecture in a statement.
It was not until 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning that the towing operation could begin safely. The weather did not facilitate the rescue work, but it was expected that the bulk carrier would arrive safely around 5 p.m.
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