The cargo ship Cape Falcon (with a capacity of 182,066 tons) successfully returned to the water on the morning of Wednesday, September 24, after a week of being grounded. The rescue operation was completed earlier than planned, while efforts to rescue the ship were scheduled for the hours before sunset.
Incident Details
The Queensland Maritime Safety reported that the ship returned to the water during the morning tide. The Cape Falcon had run aground on September 18, approximately six nautical miles from Gladstone port in northeastern Australia and was fully loaded.
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Rescue Plan and Its Impacts
The regional port governor had approved a rescue plan yesterday and announced that efforts to return the ship to the water would take place at 19:00 local time, with a predicted tide height of about 3.6 meters (nearly 12 feet). The operation depended on weather conditions, sea state, and tidal conditions.
The Cape Falcon was moving slowly while attempting to anchor in the fueling anchorage area near Gladstone port and ran aground at 15:24 local time on September 18. The Queensland Maritime Safety had designated a prohibited area with a radius of one nautical mile around the ship and stated that despite the ship being outside the port's shipping channel, there would still be impacts on transportation schedules.
The Cape Falcon, built in 2022 and measuring approximately 292 meters (958 feet) in length, is managed by the Japanese company Shoei Kisen Kaisha and registered in Liberia. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau reported that there were no injuries to the crew and no pollution reported.
After the ship was returned to the water, the Cape Falcon was directed to the anchorage for further investigations. Australian maritime safety officials detained the ship to ensure compliance with all safety and regulatory requirements. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau announced that a brief investigation would be conducted, including interviews and the collection of evidence and data, and it was also ordered that the ship's voyage data recorder be preserved.
Gladstone port is one of Australia's major bulk ports and a key export location. Port officials have stated that it manages over 30 different commodities, including coal and minerals.
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