The 143-metre container vessel Santa Lucia, carrying fresh produce cargo, has run aground in Delaware Bay, as reported by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) on Tuesday.
A crew member called the Coast Guard at approximately 09:30 on Tuesday and reported the grounding near Miah Maull Shoal, as the vessel was en route to Philadelphia.
The Coast Guard, along with Delaware and New Jersey officials, were working with the ship owner’s salvage team in order to evaluate the current situation and establish a potential operation of safely refloating the vessel, as officials commented via a statement.
“Our primary objective is to ensure the safety of the crew along with the ship itself and to protect the environment given the current unpleasant weather conditions,” Captain Kathy Moore, commander of the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay, said.
She added that the causes of the grounding were also being investigated.
At 3 pm the Santa Lucia got back underway under her own power and is scheduled to anchor at Big Stone Anchorage for an USCG safety inspection.
Current position of Santa Lucia