Ship still stranded off north Northumberland coast
Picture from Seahouses Lifeboat Station of M.V.Danio grounded on the Farne Islands.
A cargo ship stranded by the Farne Islands could be there for a fortnight.
The 80-metre vessel Danio made a distress call in the early hours of Saturday morning after running aground near the Little Harcar rock, very close to the islands’ lighthouse.
Carrying timber, it was on its way from Perth to Antwerp when it ran straight into the rocks.
Initial efforts to tow the vessel clear failed, and an attempt to move it by tugboat at high tide on Saturday evening was abandoned at dark as the scale of the problem became apparent.
Concerns have been expressed about the potential for serious environmental damage if oil starts to leak from the vessel close to the islands, which are home to 80,000 pairs of seabirds and the country’s largest colony of grey seals. However, there are no leaks at the moment.
Rescue crews are now formulating a plan to rescue the ship without spilling any fuel, but it has been suggested it might be ‘another two weeks’ before Danio can be moved because the tides are due to change.
And the weather forecast for the start of this week in the north of the county is not good, which may also delay any rescue attempts.
For more, check back online and see the Gazette on Thursday.
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Weather for Northumberland
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 11 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: East
