Wrecks: Scotland

(asked on 13th January 2015) - View Source

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how the (a) Northern Lighthouse Board and (b) Maritime and Coastguard Agency responded to the sinking of the Cemfjord in the Pentland Firth on 3 January 2015.


Answered by
John Hayes Portrait
John Hayes
This question was answered on 19th January 2015

After the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) received a report of a capsized hull in the Pentland Firth Her Majesty’s Coastguard immediately coordinated a search and rescue (SAR) response. The SAR response included four lifeboats, two SAR helicopters and other vessels in the Pentland Firth area. The emergency towing vessel was sent to mark the position of the capsized ship and to offer expert advice on any salvage effort. Five Coastguard Rescue Teams, based either on Orkney or on the north Scottish coast, assisted in the search.

The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) sent its lighthouse vessel PHAROS to the area to determine if the wreck was a hazard to navigation and to survey the seabed to locate the CEMFJORD. The wreck was found close to its final reported sinking position at a depth of around 70m, and is not a hazard to shipping.

The MCA also arranged for additional flying of its surveillance aircraft to check that there were no signs of the crew in liferafts.

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