Bad things happen in threes!

[Madzng]

Unforunately there are ships running aground and sinking all the time, and it is most likely due to the Costa Concordia that this ship has gained some media attention. What ever the reason it is definately not a good time to be an itallian seafarer!

If anything good should come and stay of the recent events it should be better and greater media focus on shipping, not only the bad but also the good.

Coast guards in Italy have used helicopters to rescue the crew of a cargo ship after it ran aground on a reef off Sicily in stormy seas.
All 19 crew members were ferried to shore by helicopters after the captain of the Gelso M gave the order to abandon ship.Weather conditions are deteriorating in the area near the city of Syracuse on Sicily's south-east coast. There were no reports of any cargo aboard the Italian-flagged vessel. Coastguard spokesman Cosimo Nicastro said four helicopters had been used to airlift the crew to safety, and all of them were well. Helicopters were needed for the evacuation because the ship's position on the reefs had made it impossible for the crew to lower lifeboats or for rescue vessels to approach.
The ship's double hull meant there was a low risk of pollution but the environment ministry was alerted nonetheless, AFP news agency reports. Rescue service sources quoted by the agency suggested that, given the weather conditions, the captain had been sailing too close to the coast. The incident comes two months after the cruise ship Costa Concordia hit rocks off the island of Giglio on Italy's west coast, capsizing with the loss of 32 lives.

Taken from the BBC website

[JK]

Some photos:

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/showal ... #top_photo

Looks like a snotty day

[Big Pete]

Some good photos. It is obvious why they didnt try to launch the lifeboats!!
BP