Team Geared Up

SINGAPORE (Team Geared Up) - It’s all happening this week in at sea (read the Day 3 update on the Portrush Lifeboat Grounding). Overnight a Cargo ferry with roll-on-roll-off cargo and some passengers got hit by a freak wave and was grounded on blackpool beach.

The latest news is that the Irish Coast Guard Helicopter is now monitoring the situation and will fly to the UK to aid the situation if required.

Sitting on the bottom, it has developed a 40 degree list. All but a few crew have been airlifted off by RAF sea kings. We have video released by the HM Coastguard RAF helicopter on-scene (from RAF Kinloss), via BBC.

The ship is called the Riverdance. It crosses the Irish sea 2 times a day with freight trucks. I wonder what goods are onboard - and if this thing goes (pretty likely with the current winds, but may be prevented if a sand bottom) what will end up on the shore. Last time we had the Mercedes!

The large wave shifted all the cargo, causing it to tilt.

Reuters are reporting:

The crew comprised 15 Poles and four Britons. Four passengers had been on board. There were no reports of injuries.

The crew remaining on board were working to ballast the vessel to improve its stability, a coastguard statement said, adding there was “no reported oil pollution from the vessel”.

A Royal Airforce spokesman said the rescue conditions had been “the worst you could ever think it could be, and then some more”.

Winds of Storm Force 10 were reported, meaning up to 60 mph, with gusts taking the figure higher, and waves of more than 20 feet (7 metres)

-Robin-

(Image Credits: RAF, BBC)