Containership Refloated
A large container vessel ran aground in the Dover Strait on January 2, 2008, and has been successfully refloated. The LT Cortesia is a large container vessel which ran aground this morning on the Varne Bank while traveling through the Dover Strait. The vessel was refloated by three powerful tugs at high tide this evening and pulled stern first off the sand bank. The Coastguard Tug, Anglian Monarch has been on scene throughout the operation, available for any additional support if needed. The LT Cortesia has made her way to a safe anchorage in the Downs approximately 10 miles East of Dover where she will undergo inspections overnight and tomorrow.
Freighter runs aground in Channel
According to the Guardian Unlimited, the coastguard was sent to the aid of a large container ship that ran aground in the Dover Strait. The crew of the 90,465-ton German container vessel LT Cortesia contacted the Dover coastguard at 5am after running aground on the Varne Bank. The coastguard has sent the emergency tug Anglian Monarch to help the stranded ship and assess the options for salvaging it. The vessel was traveling through the strait from Thames port on its way to the Suez when it ran aground nine miles south of Dover harbor, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. None of the 27 people on board the stranded ship was injured, and its 42,785 tons of cargo is reported to be undamaged. The vessel is believed to be watertight. Source: Guardian Unlimited
