HMS Lancaster speeds to the aid of blazing vessel

[Anth]

A Royal Navy frigate has sprinted to the aid of a blazing container ship in the Gulf of Aden. HMS Lancaster, currently acting as an escort for the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle, was tasked along with another French warship, FS Montcalm, to help a ship reported to be ablaze.

Quick as you can; HMS Lancaster speeds to the aid of the stricken vessel in the Gulf Of Aden
Picture: Royal Navy

The stricken vessel, the 64,000-ton Panamanian-registered container ship Hyundai Fortune, was believed to have 27 crew onboard; 20 Koreans and seven Chinese, three of whom were women. Hyundai Fortune was on its way to the Suez Canal when the blaze caught hold.

By the time Lancaster arrived at the scene, the crew were all safely transferred to the Dutch vessel Zeven Provincien. One crew member is still being treated onboard the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, although it is understood that their injuries are not life threatening.

Montcalm had earlier positioned herself equi-distant between Charles de Gaulle and Hyundai Fortune to act as a staging post for her Lynx helicopter to transfer the casualty to the Charles de Gaulle. On arrival, HMS Lancaster relieved the Dutch destroyer of her duties and continued to provide navigation warning to other merchant shipping in this busy waterway.

HMS Lancaster then positioned herself to monitor a 10 nautical mile exclusion zone around the vessel and warn merchant shipping of the associated hazards; a number of containers broke free during the blaze and, being partially submerged, present a danger to surface navigation.

Out of control; the fire really takes hold onboard Hyundai Fortune
Picture: Royal Navy

Zeven Provincien will rendezvous with a tug outbound from Aden and disembark some of the Hyundai Fortune's crew for return to the vessel. The remainder of the stricken vessel's crew will continue the passage to Aden, where it is hoped the Hyundai Fortune will eventually be towed to safety.

Commanding Officer of HMS Lancaster, Commander James Morley, said:

"I'm very pleased with the way this potential life-threatening situation was handled. Our Task Group responded quickly by sprinting to cover a huge distance of some 250 nautical miles as part of the effort to save the lives of the crew members aboard the Hyundai Fortune.

"Thankfully, expert treatment was at hand in the excellent secondary care facility in the French Aircraft Carrier, which rivals any hospital. By taking control of the scene overnight, Lancaster's exclusion zone safeguarded against any further risk to shipping from wreckage or debris. All in all, this has been an excellent example of Coalition Maritime Security Operations."

MoD News Link

[Woodmonkey]

That must have been exciting for the rescuers. Thank God they were so close and could come to the rescue.