Rescue Mission Unravels as Assisting Tug Runs Aground off Taiwan
A routine attempt to refloat a grounded bulk carrier off Taiwan’s east coast escalated into a wider maritime emergency when one of the assisting tugs also ran aground, prompting a helicopter evacuation, The Maritime Telegraph reports.
The Panama-flagged bulk carrier CSE Prosperity Express lost propulsion near the port of Hualien on January 1 while awaiting a pilot. Strong monsoon winds and heavy seas pushed the vessel ashore close to the Hualien River mouth. Seventeen crew members remained on board.
Port authorities deployed two tugs to assist the bulk carrier. During the operation, the tug Taiwangang 13205, with five crew on board, became fouled in the bulker’s mooring line and lost power. Wave action then drove the tug onto the shoreline, leaving it grounded near the disabled vessel.
One crew member on the tug suffered a head injury during the grounding. Rough sea conditions prevented rescue boats from approaching safely, forcing authorities to turn to an aerial response.
Taiwan’s Air Service Corps dispatched a helicopter, which evacuated all five crew members from the tug. The injured seafarer was taken to hospital, while the others were landed safely ashore.
Officials confirmed that the crew aboard CSE Prosperity Express was not in immediate danger. A larger tug was later sent from Keelung to continue salvage efforts once conditions improve.
