Cargo ship remains stuck on sandbank after tow attempt fails

A stranded ship could remain stuck on a sandbank for several days after getting "caught out" while making a turn.

The EEMS Servant cargo ship was approaching Sharpness Docks on Monday when it ran aground on the sands, with crew stuck onboard.

General manager of the SARA Sharpness lifeboat station David Palmer said it is "quite rare" for a ship to get stuck in this location.

A tug tried to tow the ship away on Tuesday morning but was unsuccessful.

Mr Palmer said it looks like the incident was caused by the sandbanks shifting into the navigation channel due to the "high levels of flood water" that have come down the River Severn.

"It's quite rare for it to happen but because of the nature of the river with the shifting sandbanks it can be the case that some might shift closer to the channel," Mr Palmer said.

"It looks like, in this instance, they've shifted quite a bit in quite a short space of time, so it's just caught the ship out."

Mr Palmer said he was unsure of the number of people onboard.

"As far as I'm aware, there were no injuries, so we haven't been involved in any rescues around the boat," he added.

"There was an attempt to tow if off by a tug from Portishead. Unfortunately, the tide was smaller this morning so it wasn't able to do so.

"The tides over the next day or so are going to be smaller again before they start to get higher so it's likely the boat will probably be there for a day or so before a tug makes another attempt to tow it off the sand."

According to Mr Palmer, the ship, which is 99m (325ft) long, looks to be "fairly stable" so the crew are staying aboard as they have sufficient accommodation and supplies.

"We offered our services if they're required," he said.

"The harbour master is well aware of us so if they do need anything from us they will call and we'll do whatever we can but I don't anticipate being required for any rescues."

The Gloucester Harbour Trustees and Canal & River Trust said in a joint statement that there were "no immediate concerns" with regards to damage to the vessel and the environment.

A spokesperson said: "The Canal & River Trust and Gloucester Harbour Trustees (GHT) are closely monitoring the situation regarding the vessel EEMS Servant which has grounded on a sandbank during its approach to Sharpness Docks.

"There are no immediate concerns regarding damage to the vessel or pollution.

"The vessel's full crew and a GHT pilot remain aboard and GHT remains in touch with appropriate regulatory authorities.

"The vessel is likely to naturally re-float and continue its journey on the next available suitably high tide. The Trust and GHT will continue to provide support until the ship is safely afloat, whereupon a full investigation will be carried out."

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