Grounded Cargo Ship in Trouble in Greece; Nine Rescued, Pollution Reported

MV Cabrera aground on the Greek Island of Andros, December 24, 2016. Still image from video posted by Hellenic Coast Guard.

Nine crew members have been rescued from a grounded general cargo ship that has run aground and is leaking oil in Andros, Greece.

The Hellenic Coast Guard says the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged MV Cabrera ran aground Saturday in severe weather, leaving the ship partially sunk along the rocky coast in very heavy surf. All nine crew members have been airlifted by a Greek Navy helicopter and transferred to local hospitals.

A sheen of oil approximately 500 square meters was observed around the ship and along the coastline on Saturday, the Hellenic Coast Guard said. Oil spill response was being hampered by weather in the area.

The 5,553 dwt MV Cabrera was sailing from Larymna, Greece to Finland with 3,500 tons of ferronickel at the time of grounding.

A video shows a portion of the rescue below. In the video you can see the ship with only the superstructure and portions of the bow and deck above water. You can also see a lot of debris in the water around the vessel.