Sunk cargo ship is unlikely to be raised from Pentland Firth
THE company whose cargo ship sank in the Pentland Firth has said it is highly unlikely the vessel will ever be raised, although a decision is still to be taken on whether to try and retrieve the bodies of the crew.
The names of the eight lost in the Cemfjord, which sank in the notorious waterway between Caithness and Orkney, will be released officially just before they are remembered at a church service in Wick on Sunday.
The county town of Caithness is just 15 miles from where the cargo ship now lies on the seabed, having sunk in 100mph gales two weeks ago without issuing a distress signal. A ferry from Shetland had spotted the upturned vessel.
All eight seafarers who were on board are missing, presumed dead. Seven of the men are confirmed to be from Poland and one from the Philippines.
Tony Redding, spokesman for German shipping company Brise of Hamburg which manages the Cypriot-registered ship, said: “There is going to be gathering in a hotel before the church service on Sunday when we will release the names of the crew members.”
He said that the vessel was now lying more than 200 feet below the water and was not presenting a hazard to navigation, so salvage was “very unlikely”.
He said the next step was for the Marine Accident Investigation Branch to carry out an external examination of the ship.
“If and when that happens we will have clearer data on how the ship is lying on the seabed.
“She is upturned, but we need more detail about access,” he said. “We will be faced with the moral issue of whether it is right to ask people to put their lives at risk for the possible recovery of the bodies.
“But I stress no decision has been taken yet.”
Meanwhile, global maritime charities The Mission to Seafarers and The Apostleship of the Sea are liaising with Brise on how to support the families of the lost crew.
Fr Edward Pracz said: “We are available to contribute to the support of those in need.”