The cargo ship Meshka, which had been aground off Landskrona in Sweden since 31 May, has been refloated and is now moored in Landskrona harbour. No oil has reached the water. Vessels from the Swedish Coast Guard supervised the salvage work and the journey to port, which took just over eight hours in good conditions.
The salvage operation began at 3 am on Saturday morning, 7 June, by emptying the ballast tanks. Before that, two tugboats had been connected to the stern and bow of Meshka. At 8.30 am, the ship was floating freely and, after assistance from the tugboats, was able to continue the journey to Landskrona under its own power. Pilots from the Swedish Maritime Administration and officials from the Swedish Coast Guard were on board during the salvage operation.
‘The salvage of Meshka has gone well thanks to close cooperation between several authorities and private actors. For the Coast Guard, this means that an environmental threat in the Sound has been eliminated with joint efforts,’ says Fredrik Hallerström, rescue leader at the Swedish Coast Guard.
Also read: Bulk carrier in Sweden salvaged, two more incidents reported
Meshka grounding
The Meshka was carrying approximately 938,000 litres of oil in fuel and lubricating oil tanks. The Coast Guard has had vessels on site with the ability to combat oil spills. Next to the wreck was KBV 001 Poseidon, which has the capacity to combat oil spills. Additional environmental rescue resources were ready in Landskrona and Malmö.
The Meshka ran aground in the Sound, off Landskrona on Saturday morning, 31 May. The Meshka is a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship. The hull was inspected by divers, who could not find any leaks. The majority of the hull was resting on the sea floor, which is mostly sand.
It is as yet unclear why the vessel grounded, but one crew member has been charged with negligence in maritime traffic. The Coast Guard has opened a preliminary investigation into the lack of good seamanship surrounding the grounding. There are no suspicions of drunkenness at sea. The investigation has been handed over to the Swedish Prosecution Authority.
Also read: Salvage of grounded bulk carrier in Sweden started
Three operations in parallel
During the past week, the Swedish Coast Guard has handled three major operations in parallel: the grounded vessel Ali Aykin outside Klagshamn, the grounded vessel Meshka outside Landskrona, and a sunken tugboat in northern Sweden, outside Piteå. The fact that three extensive operations coincided is unusual and has placed high demands on the Coast Guard’s preparedness, endurance, and leadership capabilities.
Picture: Meshka, which had been aground off Landskrona since May 31, has been refloated and is now moored in the port of Landskrona (photo by the Swedish Coast Guard).
Also read: Bulk carrier grounds in Sweden, drunkenness suspected
