Dramatic Helicopter Rescue Saves 20 Crew Members from Grounded Cargo Ship Off Newfoundland

The Canadian Coast Guard came to the rescue of a cargo ship’s crew after the vessel lost power and ran aground on the western coast of Newfoundland. The Coast Guard received a MAYDAY from the cargo ship MSC Baltic III on Saturday, February 15, after it was unable to secure an anchor due to high winds and rough seas. With no power and drifting, the massive container ship crashed into the rocky shore.

The Canadian Coast Guard came to the rescue of a cargo ship’s crew after the vessel lost power and ran aground on the western coast of Newfoundland. The Coast Guard received a MAYDAY from the cargo ship MSC Baltic III on Saturday, February 15, after it was unable to secure an anchor due to high winds and rough seas. With no power and drifting, the massive container ship crashed into the rocky shore.

The Canadian Coast Guard deployed a Cormorant helicopter to attempt to airlift the 20 people on board.

Melanie Gerard Joyce, who snowmobiled out to the scene, was on shore at Wild Cove, west of Lark Harbour, where the ship ran into trouble. She recorded the dramatic rescue and shared it on Facebook. As her photos and video show, the weather conditions were extremely treacherous, with high winds and towering waves.

Despite the extreme challenges, the Search and Rescue team successfully evacuated the entire crew. Gerard Joyce wrote, “Truly amazing watching the Search and Rescue Squadron based out of Gander airlift the crew of the ship to safety!”

The Canadian Coast Guard now continues to keep an eye on the cargo ship to monitor for marine environmental hazards.

They wrote on Facebook, “An emergency zone (2 nautical miles) has been established around the incident area to facilitate operations and support marine safety. Overflights to assess the situation are expected to take place today, pending weather conditions. Additional crews and equipment are en route. They added, “With the crew rescued, the incident response focuses on marine environmental hazards. A Marine Environmental Hazards Response team will be working closely with the operator. The CCGS Henry Larsen remains in the area, and mobilization is underway with crews and equipment en route.”