Canadian Coast Guard Responds to MSC Baltic III Grounding off Newfoundland

Source: Canadian Coast Guard

The Canadian Coast Guard is battling harsh winter conditions to assess and develop a plan for the MSC Baltic III, a 207-metre cargo ship that ran aground on the western coast of Newfoundland. On the morning of February 15, the vessel reported a loss of power, leading to a mayday call near Lark Harbour, N.L. The Marine Communications and Traffic Services in Port aux Basques received the distress signal as the ship was about 12 nautical miles from the entrance to the Bay of Islands.

Crew Safely Rescued Amid Adverse Conditions

A Cormorant helicopter successfully airlifted all 20 crew members on board on Saturday. The evacuation was carried out under difficult weather conditions, with strong winds and heavy snowfall affecting the rescue efforts.

Environmental Concerns and Risk Assessment

Bruce English, a senior response officer with the Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental and Hazardous Response team, emphasized that protecting the marine environment remains the top priority. As of Sunday, there were no signs of an oil spill, but concerns remain about the ship’s hull integrity.

“The vessel’s propulsion fuel is marine diesel, and the vessel is sitting on rocks on the shoreline. So we’re concerned that it may breach the hull, but at this point in time, there’s no breach and no oil on the water,” English stated.

Aerial surveys of the vessel have been conducted, but due to the severe winter weather, on-water assessments remain challenging.

Challenges in Salvage Operations

The Coast Guard reported that the MSC Baltic III could not secure an anchor before running aground due to unfavorable sea and weather conditions. The cause of the power failure remains under investigation. High winds and heavy snow have continued to delay assessment and salvage operations.

English noted, “This is a precarious situation in a hard-to-access area, and it’s winter on the west coast of Newfoundland... the winds are high, there’s a lot of snow.”

Once the weather stabilizes, experts will determine if the vessel is structurally sound before making plans to remove it from the shoreline.

Cargo and Next Steps

The ship, measuring 207 meters long and 30 meters wide, carries over 400 containers. Its owner, who remains unnamed, works with the Coast Guard and a salvage company to recover the ship safely. A detailed manifest of the cargo is being compiled and will be shared with authorities.

According to our data, the MSC Baltic III was en route from Montreal to Corner Brook, N.L., when the incident occurred.

The Canadian Coast Guard remains on high alert, closely monitoring the situation to ensure minimal environmental impact and a safe resolution to the grounding.