In brief
Following a serious collision involving the Stena Immaculate oil tanker and the Solong cargo ship on March 10, the crew's courageous response has been highlighted. While one crew member from the Solong is still unaccounted for and presumed dead, the remaining sailors demonstrated immense bravery in their efforts, prompting the tanker’s co-owners to express their gratitude.
The Stena Immaculate collided with the cargo vessel in the North Sea near East Yorkshire, leading to significant explosions and fires that have since been extinguished. Crowley, a Florida-based shipping company managing the tanker, shared a photo of the 19 crew members and issued a statement praising their "exceptional bravery." The crew’s prompt actions reportedly saved lives, preserved the vessel’s integrity, and minimized environmental damage. In this unfortunate incident, the captain of the Solong, Vladimir Motin, has faced charges of gross negligence manslaughter after a Filipino crew member, Mark Angelo Pernia, went missing and is presumed dead. The vessels involved saw 36 individuals rescued and safely returned to shore while cleanup efforts are ongoing due to the spillage of plastic nurdles from the Solong's damaged containers, which can harm wildlife. The UK Coastguard has continued its operations to monitor the situation and launched a retrieval operation after sighting nurdles along the Norfolk coastline. Captain Motin has been remanded in custody following a court appearance, while the Marine Accident Investigation Branch pursues further inquiries into the collision’s circumstances.
