Wreck of Sunken Cement Carrier Found

By The Maritime Executive 01-06-2015 03:44:53

The wreck of sunken cement carrier Cemfjord has been located by sonar, not far from where it was spotted capsized in the Pentland Firth off the North of Scotland.

According to the ship’s operator, Brise of Hamburg, the ship appears to be inverted on the sea bed, at a depth of around 70 meters. Lighthouse tender Pharos located the wreck using its sonar equipment.

Next, a submersible remotely operated vehicle (ROV) will likely be used to get a better picture of the vessel, to better understand the incident as a whole. The company is now beginning to assess the next phase of operations.

On Monday, Brise of Hamburg reported that the extensive air and sea search in the Pentland Firth has produced no trace of the missing crew of eight.

The upturned hull of the Cemfjord was discovered last Saturday by a local ferry. A major search and rescue operation was launched, involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Coastguard tug, two helicopters, a fixed wing aircraft and five lifeboats. Despite the best efforts of the search teams, no crewmembers were found.

Investigations into the cause of the accident are being carried out by Brise, the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch and the flag of registry, Cyprus.