MCA photo
MCA photo
MCA photo
Courtesy Guardian Unlimited
Maritime Services
Case Study 2 :
An Emergency Deployment
Securewest International has proven time and again it's ability to deploy additional security teams either in an emergency or as a result of increased theat assessment. This Case Study illustrates extremely well a swift and effective action plan to provide security for a vessel and its cargo.
The Challenge
MSC NAPOLI suffered flooding to the engine room during force 8 gales on Thursday 18 January 40 miles south of Cornwall. This occured in International water within the French Search and Rescue zone. The 26 crew abandoned ship and were safely rescued from their lifeboat by helicopter
In accordance with the Anglo-French Joint Maritime Contingency Plan (Mancheplan), the Secretary of State’s Representative for Maritime Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) and the French maritime authorities made an on-scene assessment of the condition of the MSC Napoli, and the French authorities assessed a number of possible locations for a place of refuge in French waters. The conclusion arising out of these assessments was that the least environmentally risky option was to tow the vessel to a place of refuge in UK waters. The south coast of England provided better options for a place of refuge than the French coast, where there were no suitable places of refuge within reasonable distance.
After being continuously pounded by bad weather the cracks on both sides of the ship worsened and the stern of the ship gradually started settling lower in the water.With the risk of the vessel sinking the decision was made to beach the vessel and ballast it down east of Sidmouth to mininise the amount of pollution.
As a result a number of containers started falling overboard with many being washed up by the southerly gales on the nearby beaches. As the news hit the headlines, the beach was filled with those scavenging for cargo, containers were forced open and the beach became littered with debris.
Among the manifest were hazardous cargoes and therefore it was determined there was a severe risk of injury to any of the large numbers of the public now on the beach.
The Solution.
Securewest International received the call for security assistance late on Sunday 21st January. Within hours a team was en route to the beach area to assist in securing the lost cargo.
The problems were made worse as legal actions were required to close off footpaths, the land behind the beach was in private ownership and there was a public right of way over the beach.
Securewest International's Operations team liased with the salvage company and the authorities to initially establish a secure area to move recovered cargo to, and then as enforcement notices were issued by the courts, enforce the restrictions on public access to the site. This included close representation with Devon and Cornwall Police and Dorset Constabulary. The operation to secure the area and permit the clean up of the beach continued throughout 2007 as cargo continued to be recovered and the vessel eventually broken up by the salvors.