Commercial ship without crew drifts towards Polish shore [UPDATE]

[UPDATE, 9.30AM]

Rafal Goeck, spokesman for the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, announced that the multipurpose rescue tug of the Maritime Search and Rescue Service Captain Poinc, and the rescue tug of the Support Ship Squadron of the 3rd Ship Flotilla, are heading towards the merchant ship Sofia, which is drifting in the Baltic Sea. Both vessels are to take over and secure the drifting vessel.

Information has also been passed on that the shipowner of the Sofia has ordered a tug, sailing from Rostock, Germany, which will be tasked with bringing the vessel to the shipowner’s designated port.

According to information from other vessels passing in the vicinity of the drifting Sofia, there are no signs of fire on board. However, navigational lighting is not working on the vessel.

The merchant ship Sofia, which left the sea port in Ustka on Thursday afternoon, is drifting damaged and without a crew towards the Polish shore. According to information provided by the Maritime Search and Rescue Service, the vessel was first said to be taking on water and then a fire broke out on board. The entire crew of five was evacuated by helicopter by SAR rescuers from Sweden.

– After 9pm on Thursday, a message was received from Danish rescuers that the merchant ship Sofia was sinking in their waters. The vessel was located west of the Danish island of Bornholm. – explains Rafal Goeck, spokesman for the Maritime Search and Rescue Service. – The vessel was first said to be taking on water and then a fire broke out on board. We were only asked to assist with a helicopter. As far as I know, rescuers from Swedish SAR evacuated the entire crew. Everyone is now safe. The ship is currently reported to be drifting southwards. Navigational warnings have been issued for other vessels in this case, the spokesperson added.

At the time of the accident, a north wind of between 5 and 7 on the Beaufort scale was blowing at sea. The vessel was sailing with no cargo, only ballast to pick up a cargo of aggregate which was due to arrive in Darlowo on Saturday.

The Sofia is a Swedish ship built in 1986 that sails between ports in Sweden and Poland with loose cargoes. The 69-metre-long vessel was last in Ustka on 28 November with 1,700 tonnes of aggregate for road construction. The ship also regularly calls at the port of Darlowo.

The causes of the accident are not yet known. According to the information we have received, the action of towing and securing the vessel will be handled by the Maritime Office in Szczecin.

Source: PortalMorski.pl