Enlarge image
Without a crew and incapable of maneuvering: Dutch freighter "Eemslift Hendrika"
Photo: Coast Guard Ship Sortland / dpa
A cargo ship abandoned by the crew and drifting off the coast of Norway has to stay on the open sea longer than planned.
The rescue of the "Eemslift Hendrika" had to be postponed to Thursday due to bad weather in the area of operation, said the Norwegian coast administration.
Life and health would always have top priority.
According to calculations, the risk of the ship running aground is low.
On Thursday it should clear up, which makes it more likely that the recovery will then be successful.
Tugs are supposed to pull freighters ashore
Originally the "Eemslift Hendrika" was supposed to be brought out of its predicament on Wednesday.
Two tugs arrived at the ship that night, which is drifting in the North Sea.
The tugs should hook the freighter during the day.
First, however, emergency services had to be brought aboard the ship by helicopter to take over the towing cables.
According to the coast administration, the tugs were chartered by the Dutch rescue company Smit Salvage.
Smit Salvage is a subsidiary of the rescue company Boskalis, which recently also took care of the rescue of the "Ever Given" in the Suez Canal.
350 tons of heavy fuel oil and 50 tons of diesel on board
The 112 meter long “Eemslift Hendrika” of the Dutch shipping company Amasus Shipping was on its way from Bremerhaven to Kolvereid on the Norwegian coast.
It was listed on Easter Monday in bad weather and heavy swell after parts of the freight had shifted.
The crew was taken off board by helicopter on Monday.
The ship initially continued to operate under autopilot - until the machine broke down late on Monday evening.
The freighter has around 350 tons of heavy fuel oil and 50 tons of diesel on board.
On Tuesday evening, according to the coastal administration, he was around 40 to 50 nautical miles (74 to 93 kilometers) west of the city of Ålesund on the Norwegian west coast.
bbr / dpa
