Crew Rescued After Car Carrier Runs Aground

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Lifeboats and a coastguard helicopter have rescued all 25 crew from the water and on board a car carrier which became grounded off the Isle of Wight.

The Hoegh Osaka got into difficulty at Bramble Bank in the central Solent at around 9.20pm on Saturday and began listing.

National Maritime Operations Centre commander Steve Carson said: "All of the crew have been accounted for and other than a couple of non life-threatening injuries, everyone is safe and well."

HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the search and rescue mission was co-ordinated by the National Maritime Operations Centre at Fareham.

It said three crew members who remained on board the cargo ship to assist with salvage operations have also been airlifted off the vessel.

Four RNLI lifeboats from Calshot, Cowes and Yarmouth were involved in the rescue mission alongside the Solent Coastguard Helicopter, Southampton Patrol and four tug boats, two from Esso and two from Southampton Docks.

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Gallery: Ship Beached In The Solent

The car carrier ship became grounded on Bramble Bank in the Solent at around 9.20pm on Saturday and is listing at 45 degrees. Pic: Jamie Griffin/M & Y News Agency, Portsmouth

Twenty-five crew were rescued by a coastguard helicopter and lifeboats. Picture: Andy Merrill

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The 180-metre cargo ship is beached about three-quarters of the way from the Isle of Wight to the mainland.

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It is not yet clear how the ship managed to get into difficulty. Picture: Andy Merrill

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Lucy Morgan, a reporter at Isle of Wight Radio, said the 180-metre vessel is currently beached about three-quarters of the way from the Isle of Wight to the mainland.

She told Sky News: "What we understand happened is that it ran aground at Bramble Bank. At low tide it becomes so low that at some times of the year people actually play cricket on Bramble Bank, and it seems to have become stuck in the middle of the Solent where it is now listing very badly to its starboard side.

"This is the part of the Solent where Cowes Week runs... where a lot of boating takes place, so to see a cargo ship as big as this in this situation is extremely rare and very unusual."

It is not yet clear how the cargo ship, which reportedly left Southampton on Saturday evening, managed to get into difficulty.

Mr Carson said the ship has been listing at 45 degrees and plans for salvage were under way.

"Indeed the investigation will follow and the authorities have been informed at this time. I will not speculate on the circumstances," he said.

"The salvage operations have commences, not the removal of the vessel but the plans for its removal. We will have to wait until daylight to fully assess.

"The owners have appointed salvage operators and did so quite swiftly."

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