Ship aground as wild weather lashes Australia

Sydney - Rescue helicopters braved wild weather to airlift 21 crew members from a stricken freighter as pounding seas threatened to beach others on Australia's east coast Friday.

The Filipino and Korean crew on board the 30,000-tonne coal carrier Pasha Bulker, which ran aground off Newcastle harbour north of Sydney, were winched from the deck one by one and flown ashore, officials said.

Tugboats headed out to help the carrier, which an eyewitness said had monstrous waves crashing over the deck.

"It's getting absolutely belted at the moment, it's an amazing sight, the spray coming right over the top of this huge tanker," the witness told Australian radio.

There were concerns for several other ships off the coast as waves reached a reported height of 17 metres, New South Wales Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said.

One of the ships, Sea Confidence, was in distress off Stockton Beach north of Newcastle.

"It's got its engines at full speed trying to get away from the coastline but it's being dragged towards the coastline and will run aground, we expect soon," he said.

The national transport ministry said the Sea Confidence and a second ship, Bitis, were both expected to run aground as they struggled in the tumultous seas about a nautical mile offshore.

Another ship, the Coral Emerald, was also in distress and dragging its anchor but was a bit further out, a spokeswoman said.

Newcastle is a major coal port, and dozens of ships regularly ride at anchor offshore as they await their turn to load.

The Panama-registered Pasha Bulker was believed to be carrying 700 tonnes of fuel oil but there were no immediate reports of a leak, the New South Wales state maritime authority said.

"The priority is the saving of lives and the focus is on the crew," said chief executive Chris Oxenbould. "Contingencies for pollution are being put in place."

Swells up to five metres high in Sydney Harbour earlier put a halt to peak-hour ferry services, forcing thousands of people onto buses and causing major traffic problems.

The weather was expected to worsen during the day, with gale force winds and huge surf battering the coast, forecasters said.

Agence France Presse

Stranded ship's hull still intact



The hull of the ship stranded off a beach in Newcastle was still intact at nightfall Friday, but resources from across Australia were being mobilised to prepare for a potential oil spill.

NSW Maritime said a salvage team had met with the master of the 225m Pasha Bulker, which ran aground early Friday in 10m seas and gale-force winds.

Contingency plans would be put in place to protect beaches and Newcastle harbour from pollution, a statement from the organisation said.

The 225-metre Pasha Bulker was waiting to load 58,000 tonnes of coal from Newcastle Port when she ran aground off Nobbys Beach about 9.15am Friday.

NSW Ports Minister Joe Tripodi said there was signs of damage on the starboard side of the ship, which had 700 tonnes of fuel oil, 38 tonnes of diesel and 40 tonnes of lube oil on board.

The ship Sea Confidence, which at one point was less than a nautical mile away from running ashore at Stockton Beach, is meanwhile making slow headway away from the coast, dragging both anchors.

It was 1.5 miles off Stockton Beach and moving with the aid of a tug boat.

Patrons of the Stockton Bowling Club had a full view of Sea Confidence's struggle to avoid becoming the second ship today to be beached at Newcastle.

The club's barman, Bill Smith, said Sea Confidence was heading out to sea after struggling for several hours about 700m off Stockton Beach.

"Last time we saw it they'd got it offshore and it was heading out to sea. It went at a pretty good rate of knots once it got away from the shore break," Mr Smith said.

"We can't see it now, because it's raining so heavily it's just turned black.

"It's been pretty dramatic. You can see the other one that's beached over at Nobbys (Beach) from here."

But NSW Maritime spokesman Neil Patchett said the battle to save Sea Confidence was "far from over".

"The Sea Confidence is making its way seaward under its own power. The tugboat has managed to get a line to the vessel," Mr Patchett said.

"It's managed to get offshore slowly. It's in no immediate danger but it's very difficult conditions and with night approaching the rescue is far from over."

Dramatic rescue, pollution fears

Earlier rescuers winched the 22 crew members of cargo ship Pasha Bulker to safety, after it ran aground at Nobbys Beach amid 10m waves and gale-force winds.

The crew members were winched from the deck of the ship one by one using two helicopters, the spokesman said.

There are now concerns that the 40,000-tonne coal ship could break up, creating an environmental disaster.

Mr Patchett said attempts to move the ship away from the beach could begin tomorrow morning.

"The longer the vessel remains on the reef, being pounded by waves — let's just say its not good."

But he said reports of oil leaking at the beach were not correct.

"There were misreports going around about oil in the water. I can say that there's no sign of what you would call significant oil in the water," he said.

"There are no confirmed reports that the vessel is actually leaking."

Ships struggling in wild weather

Other ships were still struggling with the wild weather off Newcastle's coast, Mr Patchett said.

A tug boat was currently being sent to assist a third bulk carrier, Betis, which was also holding anchor.

Another ship, the Coral Emerald, was also experiencing difficulties, but was not in immediate danger.

Mr Patchett said reports that the ships were "likely" to run aground were wrong, but said the operation had a long way to go.

A change in wind directions meant the ships were in less danger of running aground, Mr Patchett said. It was not known if the ships were carrying cargo.

Wild conditions shock residents

The Pasha Bulker became stranded on a sandbank off Nobbys Beach at around 9.15am this morning.

Local resident John McCann said there were thousands of people at Nobbys Beach watching the struggling vessel and the rescue operation.

He said the winds were exceptionally strong. At another Newcastle beach, piles of sand had blown off the beach, covering the road and a nearby park.

"It was like half the beach was across the road," Mr McCann said.

Earlier reports that the stranded vessel, the Pasha Bulker, had hit rocks were not correct, police said.

The Newcastle Coastal Patrol said the ship's fuel tanks were not believed to be damaged.

Strong swells and wild winds were blamed for causing the Pasha Bulker to break its moorings.

The 250-metre Pasha Bulker had been preparing to collect coal from Newcastle Port later this month.

NSW Maritime chief executive Chris Oxenbould said the bulk carrier ran aground just south of the entrance to the port of Newcastle.

The ship is understood to be carrying 700 tonnes of fuel oil, 38 tonnes of diesel and 40 tonnes of lube oil, he added.

"The priority is the saving of lives and the focus is on the crew," Mr Oxenbould said.

"A response is being coordinated and contingencies for pollution are being put in place."

©AAP 2007