Crew Airlifted From Burning Cargo Ship Adrift In The Baltic Sea By Air
Cargo ship on fire Swedish rescue forces spotted a burning ship in the Baltic Sea. Late Thursday evening, November 28, Danish and Swedish authorities coordinated the crew’s rescue from a cargo ship that caught fire off the Swedish coast. The Swedish Maritime Administration reports that all crew members were rescued without injuries and transported to Kristianstad by helicopter.
The Danish JRCC (Joint Rescue Coordination Centre) detected the problem on board the cargo ship Sophia (1,827 dwt) at 21:20 local time and notified the Swedish Armed Forces when the ship was in Swedish territory.
It was approximately 30 nautical miles east of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It was determined that the ship had been airlifted from Poland, departed from Poland on November 27, and was scheduled to arrive in Ellenholm, Sweden on November 29 to load cargo.
The crew sent a distress signal, reporting a fire on board and requesting help. The Swedish Armed Forces coordinated with the Swedish Maritime Administration, which sent a helicopter. The Swedish Coast Guard helped provide information on the number of people on board.
The Swedish helicopter arrived first and reported a fire on the bow. Media reports said there was also an explosion on board, but the Swedish Maritime Authority reported that the cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The Danes also sent a helicopter on standby. According to Danish TV2, the Danish frigate Absalon was returning to its base after training, and its course was also turned towards the base.
The Swedish helicopter rescued five crew members from the cargo ship and transported them to shore. The Swedish Maritime Administration highlighted a rapid rescue operation, with the crew safely aboard the helicopter at 23:00, 1 hour and 40 minutes after the first warning. At the time of the rescue, the wind speed was 33 knots, and the video showed that the ship was shaking violently in the Baltic Sea.
The Sofia is one of two cargo ships operated by the Swedish company Fiducia Shipping. The company said it acquired the vessel in 2019, built in Germany in 1986, and registered in Sweden to transport barley, wheat, oats, rapeseed, and fuel pellets.
The ship is 236 feet (72 m) long. The shipowner reportedly hired a tugboat to rescue the drifting ship en route. The Polish Maritime Administration reported that the ship was not in immediate danger, drifting at approximately 1.2 knots.
The Swedish Maritime Administration stressed the close cooperation between different organizations to carry out the safe rescue of the crew.
