On Saturday night, French emergency responders saved a disabled product tanker from drifting aground off the coast of Brittany, reports Safety4sea.
Tug prevents tanker from grounding
The casualty began in early November, when the tanker had a technical problem while transiting off the island of Oissant. It diverted to the Bay of Saint-Brieuc to await a commercial tug, planning to transit under tow to a yard in Estonia for repairs. However, the oceangoing tug was delayed because of approaching heavy weather – Storm Durragh, which was causing disruption for maritime interests across the British Isles and Western Europe. Without a tug, Larus remained at anchor in the exposed bay as the storm approached.
At about 1650 hours on Saturday, as weather conditions deteriorated, the vessel called the French rescue coordination center at Corsen. The crew reported that the anchor was dragging in strong winds and seas, and the tanker was slowly drifting towards the shore.
The French Navy’s Atlantic Maritime Prefecture (Premar Atlantique) quickly decided to dispatch the rescue tug Abeille Bourbon, which was located about 100 nautical miles west at Port du Stiff, Oessant. The prefecture also called for assistance from a tug at the Port of St.-Malo, which was much closer to the scene. However, the local tug had to turn back because of the rough weather conditions.
At about 2345 hours, the rescue tug was on scene, and the crew set to work to pass a tow to the disabled tanker. The effort was not successful, and after an hour, the maritime prefecture decided to dispatch its own response team to board the tanker and help make arrangements. A French Navy helicopter flew the intervention team out to the tanker and lowered them safely on deck, and by 0430 on Sunday morning, they had successfully established a tow.
Once connected, the rescue tug began the slow process of towing Larus into a port of refuge at Brest. The 13 members of disabled tanker’s crew remained aboard, but a helicopter was kept on standby in case assistance or evacuation was needed during the tow. As of Monday, the tanker was safely anchored in Brest’s harbor.
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Source: Safety4sea
