TITAN Salvage recently extracted seven prized horses, 260 tons of heavy fuel oil, and more from a grounded 4,454-gross ton cargo vessel before refloating her in São Miguel, Azores, off the coast of Portugal.
The cargo vessel, which was in transit to Ponta Delgado when she ran aground Nov. 21 on the south coast of São Miguel, only 10 nautical miles from her destination.
TITAN was awarded a Lloyds Open Form contract to rescue the ship and her cargo. Within 24 hours, TITAN deployed salvage master Stuart Miller, an international team of 11 salvage specialists and two chartered planes loaded with salvage equipment from TITAN facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom.
By the next day, TITAN was on scene assessing the situation and the vessel. The team discovered that three tanks and the engine room had been breached, and plans were made to both refloat the vessel and remove her sensitive cargo, including the seven horses.
The rescue operation was complex because the only way to get equipment onboard the ship was with tugboats, which had to get near the vessel amidst heavy winds and rough seas. Despite the harsh conditions, the horses were safely removed and taken safely to a local equestrian center. The team also discharged 59 containers and 260 tons of heavy fuel oil.
With the help of two local tugs and the ITC tug Mistral, the cargo vessel was successfully refloated from the rocky shores and safely delivered to the Port of Ponta Delgado, less than two weeks after the initial grounding.
"No job is impossible and it's key to always take a positive approach in working with your team. We also had great support from local authorities," said Miller, TITAN's salvage master on this project.
(www.titansalvage.com)