Vessel Disabled And Drifting Mid Channel - Injured Crewman Air Lifted to Safety

Early this evening U.K. Brixham Coastguard became aware through an emergency call that a general cargo vessel, the Greek registered, 6395 ton, `Ice Prince’ was in difficulties mid channel. The vessel has been plotted to be 35 miles south east of Start Point.

The vessel which was heading for Alexandria has 5258 metric tons of sawn timber on board which has shifted and the ship is listing at 25 degrees. There are no reports of any cargo being lost to the sea.

Twenty people are on board and she is now without power and drifting at nearly 4 knots although the Master on board has confirmed she has navigation lights working off emergency batteries. A further vessel, the ‘Libertas H’, is standing by. Various other vessels have also responded to the emergency call.

Salcombe and Torbay RNLI all weather lifeboats were immediately requested to launch, and an emergency pan pan signal was broadcast into the area by the Coastguard warning other shipping of the `Ice Prince’ and her present predicament. This signal was picked up by the warship `Cumberland’ which is
proceeding towards the area and has offered to assist in communications links.

The weather on scene is presently clear but with rough seas and winds of up to force 7. The vessel’s crew have reported that the ‘Ice Prince’ is rolling heavily in very poor weather.

Brixham Coastguard are in regular contact with the French Coastguard at Cross Joburg and a French Coastguard tug, the ‘Abeille Liberte’, is also on its way to the scene from Cherbourg. An estimated time of arrival is 12.30 a.m.

At 8.15 this evening the Master informed the Coastguard that he now had a crewman who was in need of urgent medical attention after he had broken his leg in the darkness on board the vessel. A Coastguard rescue helicopter ‘India Juliet’ from Portland, which had been put on standby, as the incident
unfolded was immediately scrambled to the vessel.

At just before 9.00 p.m. this evening, the Master then indicated to the Coastguard that he wished to evacuate 15 non essential crew plus the injured casualty, and the Coastguard helicopter will remove the crew to the shore before taking the injured man to hospital for urgent medical attention.

As of this report the incident is ongoing.

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