Taiwan Emergency Response as Rescue Tug Grounds near Bulker
A normal port arrival was evolved into a complicated maritime emergency when a bulk carrier agrounded near the Hualien Port in Taiwan and a rescue tug, which was also disabled, grounded in the fierce weather. The event of strong monsoon winds and heavy seas also necessitated an aerial evacuation process by the Air Service Corps of Taiwan where a crewmember was injured in the incident.
The bulk carrier CSE Prosperity Express (28,350 dwt) was on its way to Hualien Port on the east coast of Taiwan on the morning of January 1, after a trip in Thailand. The ship was reportedly waiting in front of the port entrance when the strong northeasterly monsoon winds acted to make the ship run out of power, and crafted it towards the shoreline.
The 169-meter Panama flagged ship was built in 2006 and the crew on the ship consists of 17 individuals of which 12 are Taiwanese and five are Filipino seafarers. The bulker lost control and sent out a distress signal, which led the Hualien Port Authority to send a tug to aid the bulker.
The rescue mission however soon deteriorated when the tug Taiwangang 13205, carrying five crew in it got caught in the lines of the bulk carrier. That tug had lost propulsion and was later pushed on shore by the rough seas.
The Coast Guard of Taiwan and local emergency operators were put on alert, though the worsening weather and large waves did not allow the surface rescue operation. When the situation deteriorated, Air Service Corps put a helicopter to carry out an aerial evaluation. The crew of the disabled tug was airlifted to safety and taken to hospitals in ambulance. The police verified that one of the crew members had a severe head injury and had to seek immediate medical care.
Officials later claimed that there was no imminent threat to the CSE Prosperity Express and its crew. A bigger tug had been dispatched out of Keelung Port and was expected to arrive at the bulk carrier later in the day in order to resume rescue operations.
