Ship's crew got warning minutes before grounding

A cargo ship's crew was warned by a fishing boat they were headed for rocks minutes before the vessel ran aground.

The Kaami grounded on Sgeir Graidach in the Little Minch between the isles of Skye and Lewis on 23 March 2020.

The cargo ship was eventually refloated six weeks later, but was so badly damaged it had to be scrapped.

In a new report, the Marine Accident Investigation Branch said the crew's planning for the voyage had not identified the rocks as a risk.

The Kaami was passing through the Little Minch while on passage from Drogheda in Ireland to Slite in Sweden, carrying pellets of a fuel made from waste.

A watchkeeper of a local fishing vessel warned the Kaami by radio it was headed towards a submerged ridge of rocks.

The cargo ship ran aground at about 01:40. A coastguard helicopter flew the crew to safety and no-one was injured.

After it was refloated, the Kaami was taken to a dry dock in Kishorn in the west Highlands for an inspection.

The ship was declared a "constructive total loss" and was later scrapped.