Ghost vessel runs aground off Sam Lord’s Castle
A vessel that had been drifting in the South Atlantic for months after its crew was rescued has run aground on a reef just off Sam Lord’s Castle.
Major Robert Harewood, Deputy Director of the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), said the ship, identified through online searches as the MV Christina Debora, reportedly left Ascension Island last year before encountering engine problems. The crew was rescued around July, and the vessel was left adrift.
“It has been drifting, what we call a ghost vessel, and it’s ended up here just off the Sam Lord’s Castle coast and is actually resting on the reef,” Harewood said.
The Barbados Coast Guard and the Barbados Defence Force activated response systems after the sighting was reported, bringing together several agencies to assess and secure the vessel. Initial concerns that the ship was leaking oil have since been dismissed.
Divers from the Barbados Coast Guard, working alongside the Coastal Zone Management Unit, conducted an assessment of the hull to determine the best course of action to remove the vessel from the reef. Authorities intend to tow the ship back out to sea and relocate it to a safe location, although a final destination has not yet been confirmed.
Authorities are also reviewing applicable international maritime laws to determine the next steps regarding the vessel, which entered Barbados’ waters unmanned.
Other agencies involved in the coordinated response include the Barbados Fire Service, Environmental Protection Department, Environmental Health Department, Ministry of Health and the Barbados National Energy Company Limited.
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