A moored pilot boat sank after sustaining heavy damage after it was struck by a cargo vessel at the Port of Gioia Tauro at the southern tip of mainland Italy on Saturday, January 18, reports Maritime Bulletin.
What happened?
MSC container ship struck pilot boat while moving in Gioia Tauro harbor, Italy. The incident occurred at 11:50 local time when the 300-metre containership came into contact with the unnamed smaller vessel while approaching the port.
Pilot boat sank, after being crushed between container ship bulbous bow and pier, but was quickly recovered by crane and placed on pier.
Was the ship identified?
Container ship wasn’t identified, and there are 3 MSC container ships at Gioia Tauro, as of evening Jan 18.
The available information points at MSC ADELAIDE and she was in the process of berthing on arrival from Genoa.
Unmanned pilot boat
Local authorities confirmed that no one was on board the pilot boat when it sank.
Assistance from nearby tugs
The crews of some nearby tugs arrived to render assistance. They were able to prevent the oil in the pilot boat’s fuel tanks from spilling into the water.
The wreck has since been recovered from the water and placed on the quayside at the port.
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Source: Maritime Bulletin
