Twenty crew members were airlifted to safety after MSC Baltic III lost power and ran aground in rough seas off Newfoundland.
Twenty crew members were airlifted to safety on Saturday morning, February 15, after their vessel, MSC Baltic III, ran aground approximately 12 nautical miles off the entrance to the Bay of Islands, Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Liberian-flagged container ship (2,478 TEU), which reported a loss of power, was unable to secure an anchor in rough seas and ran aground in Wild Cove, west of Lark Harbour, the Canadian Coast Guard said.
The Halifax Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre said in a post on X that it was alerted for a full power blackout on the vessel, drifting towards the shore of Newfoundland on Saturday morning.
“All crew have been safely airlifted from the vessel by a Cormorant helicopter,” the Coast Guard confirmed.
Authorities are working with response partners to assess the situation, though the full extent of the damage and the cause of the incident remains unclear.
Based on the latest update, CCGS Henry Larsen, a Canadian Coast Guard Improved Pierre Radisson-class icebreaker serving in the Newfoundland and Labrador region, remains in the area. Mobilisation is underway, with crews and equipment en route.
The Coast Guard has established an emergency zone of 2 nautical miles around the incident area to facilitate operations and ensure marine safety. Additional Canadian Coast Guard crews and equipment are en route. The CCGS Jean Goodwill, a medium-endurance multi-tasked patrol vessel, will transit to the site from Canso, NS, as weather permits, while the CCGS Henry Larsen, a large multi-tasked vessel, is standing by in Corner Brook, NL to support operations.
“With the crew rescued, the focus shifts to assisting with the salvage effort, and marine environmental and hazards response. Weather in the area continues to be a factor as we work to assess the situation and determine the next steps,” the Coast Guard said in an update on Sunday. ” The owner (MSC) of the MSC Baltic III has been cooperating and responsive, and a team from the salvage company contracted by the owner are expected in the area today to assess the situation.”