Crew Rescued After Car Carrier Runs Aground

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A car carrier which ran aground causing it to list heavily in a busy shipping lane is being assessed for stability before a salvage operation can be mounted.

The 25 crew members of the Hoegh Osaka were rescued by a coastguard helicopter and lifeboats after it became stranded on Bramble Bank, in the Solent between Southampton and the Isle of Wight, at about 9.20pm on Saturday.

One crew member was injured and airlifted to Queen Alexander Hospital in Portsmouth with non-life threatening injuries.

The remaining crew were taken to HMS Daedalus at Stubbington by helicopter.

During the rescue operation, the 51,000-tonne Singapore-registered ship listed at 45 degrees.

One crew member is understood to have been rescued from the water while the majority of the crew had made their way to the high side of the ship and were taken to safety. Three senior officers stayed on board before being taken ashore.

HM Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said a helicopter mounted a rescue for the crew while RNLI lifeboats from Yarmouth, Calshot and Cowes were also sent to the scene.

National Maritime Operations Centre commander Steve Carson said: "All of the crew have been accounted for and other then a couple of non life-threatening injuries, everyone is safe and well."

A statement from the MCA said: "The crew who were on board the car carrier Hoegh Osaka have all now been accounted for. Some were airlifted off the ship by coastguard helicopter and others were rescued from the sea by the three lifeboats that were on scene."

It is not yet clear how the boat got into difficulty.

Mr Carson said plans for salvage of the 180-metre ship were under way and would not comment on how the ship ran aground.

He said: "The investigation will follow and the authorities have been informed at this time. I will not speculate on the circumstances.

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Gallery: Ship Beached In The Solent

The car carrier ship became grounded on Bramble Bank in the Solent at around 9.20pm on Saturday and is listing at 45 degrees

Twenty-five crew were rescued by a coastguard helicopter and lifeboats

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It is not yet clear how the ship managed to get into difficulty. Continue through for more pictures

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A statement from Hoegh Autoliners, the ship's owner, said it was assessing the damage and stability of the vessel.

It said its primary concern had been for the crew on board and the Marine Accident Incident Branch (MAIB) has been informed.

Four tug boats attended and the crew confirmed the vessel was not taking in any water, the company added.

A spokesman said: "A salvage master has been appointed and Hoegh Autoliners are fully co-operating with all the authorities at this time to ensure the vessel remains safe. No pollution has been reported."

Maritime operations controller Andy Jenkins earlier told Sky News that rescue was "not straight-forward by any means".

He added: "Due to the difficulty with the vessel in terms of the list, it was a difficult operation to achieve."

With regards to salvaging the ship, he said: "There's a possibility the vessel can be re-floated but if that's not the case (the authorities) will look at the best way to move the vessel safely."

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Gallery: Maps Of the Area Where Hoegh Osaka Got Into Difficulty

The 180-metre cargo ship is beached about three-quarters of the way from the Isle of Wight to the mainland

The ship got into difficulty at Bramble Bank in the central Solent

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He said the 51,000-tonne ship was listing at 45 degrees, describing the situation as "unusual" and "a difficult one to predict".

Lucy Morgan, a reporter at Isle of Wight Radio, said the 180-metre vessel is beached about three-quarters of the way from the Isle of Wight to the mainland.

She told Sky News: "What we understand happened is that it ran aground at Bramble Bank. At low tide it becomes so low that at some times of the year people actually play cricket on Bramble Bank, and it seems to have become stuck in the middle of the Solent where it is now listing very badly to its starboard side.

"This is the part of the Solent where Cowes Week runs... where a lot of boating takes place, so to see a cargo ship as big as this in this situation is extremely rare and very unusual."

Bramble Bank is a well-known sandbank in Southampton Water and is the scene of an annual cricket match between two yachting clubs when the sands are exposed in low spring tides.

In November 2008, the Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth 2 with 1,700 passengers on board ran aground on Bramble Bank but was able to continue its journey on the rising tide after four tugs pulled it clear.

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Mie Keriting