Photo: Instagram/Salvage and Wreck and Ship_Spotting_Greece
Any type of vehicle getting stuck requires a lot of effort to be freed, and things get even more complicated when the one in question happens to be a large carrier vessel filled with cargo. It took a while, but Ever Forward is finally free to actually go forward.
The 1,095-foot (334 meters) cargo ship that had been stuck in the mudbanks of the Chesapeake Bay was finally freed after several rescue attempts proved useless. It was an unusual incident in the first place. Unlike its sister ship, Ever Given, which got stuck last year in the Suez Canal, causing a real crisis, the Ever Forward had a very simple route, from Baltimore to Norfolk. However, its crew somehow managed to take a wrong turn and get it stuck in relatively shallow waters.
The Washington Post reports that an investigation into what actually happened is still ongoing. But the most important thing was to get Ever Forward unstuck. Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard made announced that it will change its strategy after several previous attempts had failed. It was decided to first remove the 5,000 containers on board so that it would be easier to pull. The only problem was that it would take a while to do that.
But, finally, it was done. William Doyle, Executive Director at Maryland Port Administration, announced on social media that the vessel was able to move thanks to “a tremendous team effort with a little help from the Easter Sunday rising tide in the Chesapeake Bay.” This entire operation was far from easy – its vastness and complexity were “historic,” according to Capt. David O’Connell, commander of Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region.
After the operation was successfully completed, the Ever Forward went to the port of Baltimore to retrieve the containers that were removed (not all 5,000 had to be taken away), after which it headed back to its initial destination as if nothing had happened. Luckily, things ended well, but it was a challenging month-long effort for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Washington Post reports that an investigation into what actually happened is still ongoing. But the most important thing was to get Ever Forward unstuck. Last week, the U.S. Coast Guard made announced that it will change its strategy after several previous attempts had failed. It was decided to first remove the 5,000 containers on board so that it would be easier to pull. The only problem was that it would take a while to do that.
But, finally, it was done. William Doyle, Executive Director at Maryland Port Administration, announced on social media that the vessel was able to move thanks to “a tremendous team effort with a little help from the Easter Sunday rising tide in the Chesapeake Bay.” This entire operation was far from easy – its vastness and complexity were “historic,” according to Capt. David O’Connell, commander of Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region.
After the operation was successfully completed, the Ever Forward went to the port of Baltimore to retrieve the containers that were removed (not all 5,000 had to be taken away), after which it headed back to its initial destination as if nothing had happened. Luckily, things ended well, but it was a challenging month-long effort for the U.S. Coast Guard.
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