Assessment underway after last week's weather pounded a grounded cargo ship in Lark Harbour

The Coast Guard's Bruce English says on Sunday the sea was rolling in at four metres and the vessel was pounded by large seas and a lot of energy for two days last week.

A grounded cargo ship in Lark Harbour has seen some of the worst weather since grounding in an area known as Cedar Cove last February. The MSC Baltic III ran aground in a rocky area last February after losing power. The Coast Guard has been overseeing an operation to remove fuel and cargo, and the ship has to be removed due to damage to the hull. Bruce English says on Sunday the sea was rolling in at four metres and the vessel was pounded by large seas and a lot of energy for two days last week. He says there is significant movement in the bow and stern, which poses more challenges as they try to winterize the ship. English says the ship will likely have to be chopped up and removed and they will continue to work with the salvage crew and are prepared to respond if there is a release. 

The salvage crew has reported some damage to their equipment onboard and an assessment was carried out yesterday on things like generators, a boiler, tanks, hoses and more which have been tossed around. English says damage is becoming more visible and a crack that could be seen since the beginning is more pronounced now and the ship is deeper in the water.

Meanwhile, English says most of the cargo and fuel has been removed from the ship so far, including 1700 cubic metres of fuel and hydrocarbons, and  407 containers. There are still residuals in some tanks and 65 containers in the hold.  

Further updates will be provided as they are available and as the situation evolves.