Tanker co-owners have commended their crew for their remarkable courage following a collision with a cargo ship in the North Sea. The incident involved the Stena Immaculate and the cargo ship Solong, which collided off East Yorkshire on March 10, leading to an explosion and fires that have since been put out.
A crew member from the Solong, a Filipino national, is missing and feared dead, while the Russian captain of the cargo ship faces charges of gross negligence manslaughter. The Solong's owners acknowledged that small plastic pellets, stored in containers on the ship, were released and have been discovered on beaches in Lincolnshire and Norfolk.
Crowley, the maritime operations company managing the tanker, shared a photo of 19 crew members on social media. They expressed deep gratitude and respect for the 23 crew members of the Stena Immaculate, highlighting their bravery and swift actions during the incident. Their efforts were crucial in saving lives, maintaining the vessel's integrity, and minimizing environmental damage. The crew's operational focus ensured that fire monitors were active, limiting the impact to just one of the 16 cargo holds.
The company praised the crew's courage and dedication to safety, setting a strong example for the maritime industry. The HM Coastguard reported that 36 people from both vessels were safely brought to shore in Grimsby. Chief coastguard Paddy O'Callaghan stated that a retrieval operation would continue after plastic resin pellets, known as nurdles, were spotted off The Wash and along the Norfolk coast.
Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust confirmed the presence of "burnt clumps" of nurdles at Skegness and advised the public not to touch them. The National Trust noted that nurdles had also appeared on Brancaster Beach, while the RSPB reported sightings at their reserve in Titchwell. A trust spokeswoman mentioned that no signs of nurdles had been seen at Blakeney Point Nature Reserve, but assessments would continue.
The coastguard explained that nurdles, used in plastic production, are not toxic but can harm wildlife if ingested. Shipping company Ernst Russ, which owns the Solong, confirmed that containers on board held plastic nurdles. They suggested that intense heat during firefighting might have caused some containers to open, releasing their contents. The company is working with the coastguard to mitigate any long-term environmental impact.
Mr. O'Callaghan reported that both the Solong and Stena Immaculate are stable, with ongoing salvage operations. Fires on the Solong have been extinguished, and temperature monitoring is in place. The Wash, a large inlet of the North Sea, is being monitored through regular aerial surveillance flights.
The RNLI expressed gratitude to volunteer lifeboat crews from various locations for their dedication during the search and rescue operation. George Pickford, the RNLI's head of region, acknowledged their bravery in challenging conditions.
The missing crew member has been identified as Mark Angelo Pernia, 38. The Solong's captain, Vladimir Motin, 59, from St. Petersburg, Russia, appeared in court charged with gross negligence manslaughter and is set to appear again in London on April 14. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch is investigating the cause of the collision.