WIJK AAN ZEE - After 17 hours of being stranded at the coastline of Wijk aan Zee in the Netherlands, Filipino cargo ship MV Aztec Maiden was successfully re-floated at around five in the afternoon here on Saturday.
The tug boat from towing company Svitzer, commissioned by the ship's owner, Dry Cargo International, finally managed to tow the ship to open sea after two unsuccessful attempts.
The high waves and strong winds in the coast made the towing even more difficult. The ship was slowly pulled towards the port of Ijmuiden, but an inspection would be done first before the ship is allowed to move there.
The 155-meter long, 24-meter wide Aztec Maiden was first spotted 200 meter off the shore of Wijk aan Zee at around 8 a.m. Friday morning
According to the Dutch coast guard, they received a report from Ijmuiden that the ship was stranded because the anchor did not hold. They immediately sent helicopters to monitor the condition and check for damages.
According to the press office of the Dutch coast guard, all 21 crew members including the captain were all safe. No evacuation took place but the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM) was on stand by all night and all day until Saturday on the beach of Wijk aan Zee in case anything happens.
The ship was not carrying any cargo.
The tug boat levoli Black of the Dutch coastguard was first dispatched to the scene to help in pulling the boat to an upright position, but its attempt was unsuccessful. Not long after, the owner of the MV Aztec Maiden commissioned Svitzer for the towing services.
At 1:00 am Saturday, towing works began but the rope broke once again. The tug boats have to wait until the water is deep enough to resume work. At around 1:00 p.m., the towing began again but another rope broke. Finally at 4:45 p.m., after an underwater inspection and another visit from a Dutch coast guard helicopter, the ship was allowed to be pulled to the port of Ijmuiden.
Another inspection would have to take place before the ship is finally allowed to anchor in the port.
Thousands of people flocked to the beach of Wijk aan Zee to watch the towing, which caused heavy traffic in the area.
Source:
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/01/22/12/ph-cargo-ship-successfully-re-floated
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