Cargo Ship with 4815 cars kind of sinks near Alaska

[mw3538]

Helicopters sent to rescue 22 on listing ship south of Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Coast Guard and the Air Force sent helicopters today to rescue 22 crew members aboard an Asian cargo ship taking on water south of the Aleutian Islands.

The 654-foot Cougar Ace, which was carrying nearly 5,000 cars from Japan to Canada, had rolled practically onto its side.

Earlier today, a Coast Guard plane dropped three life rafts, but roiling waters shoved the rafts underneath the ship, about 230 miles from Adak Island in the Aleutians.

It was not immediately clear what caused the ship to list. Its crew sent out an SOS late Sunday night.

One crew member had a broken leg, but no other injuries were immediately reported, authorities said.

Sure hope everyone is ok on this!

Full Story




Picture from www.drive.com.au

[bouda]

It's a sign from Gaad!

[56 Starchief]

praise the lord! praise the lord!

bow your head for lord's blessing!

[Animalmother]

Lets hope its Toyota!

[87aero]

5000 cars from Japan? I bet it was many makes and models.

[doh]

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...hub=TopStories

23 sailors rescued from ship off Alaskan coast
Updated Tue. Jul. 25 2006 7:36 AM ET

CTV.ca News Staff


The U.S. Coast Guard and the air force rescued all 23 crew members of an Asian cargo ship late Monday that took on water off the Alaskan coast.

"People are out of harm's way, they are rescued and they are safe," said Alaska National Guard spokesman Maj. Mike Haller.

The massive vessel, the Cougar Ace, took on water so much water, it rolled practically onto its side.

"Challenging weather" and three-metre waves crashing into the ship did not allow crew members to safely board life boats, said Master Sgt. Sal Porvenzano, of the Alaska Rescue Coordination Center.

Instead, they were hoisted onto National Guard helicopters. The survivors were taken to Adak Island in the Aleutians, 370 kilometres north of the where the incident took place.

The crew members were not injured, officials said, except for one person who suffered a broken ankle.

The 200-metre Cougar Ace was carrying nearly 5,000 cars from Japan to Vancouver when it began taking on water Sunday night.

There were no reports of any cars going overboard as vehicles are usually securely fastened, said Greg Beuerman, a spokesman for the ship owner.

[paul8488]

Ha, I was about to say that you made a mistake and that your title didn't match your article... but I guess in the end it does! Glad they got the sailors off... too bad about the cars. Maybe they were all Toyotas, and GM will be ahead of Toyota at the end of the year by 4999 units!

[logansowner]

I thought the same thing at first, glad they got the sailors off, hope they didn't get the cars off...

[johnny smallblock]

Toyota will tell us they did this to help GM recover market share.

[Butz]

Hallelujah

[Rex Raider]

Three rescue helicopters, flying over choppy waters at night, picked up 23 people from a sinking cargo ship off the coast of Alaska's Aleutian Islands Monday but the daring operation got off on the wrong foot earlier when the Coast Guard command center received faulty information about the location of the badly listing ship.

Fifteen people were hoisted off the ship by 9:51 p.m. yesterday, Petty Officer Thomas McKenzie said. He hadn't yet received details on the remaining rescue operation. The Cougar Ace listed 90 degrees onto its port side in rough seas 230 miles south of the islands around 11 p.m. Alaska time July 23, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement yesterday.

The Coast Guard said 22 crew members were aboard. Mitsui spokesman Hidenori Onuki said there were 23. A 2-mile sheen on the water has come from the ship, Harrison said, probably related to its 430 metric tons of fuel oil and 112 tons of diesel.

Rescue attempts initially failed as the crew was huddled about 150 feet above the water on the high side of the ship's superstructure, Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Harrison said yesterday in a telephone interview from Juneau. Crew members were unable to descend to the water to lifeboats dropped by a Coast Guard plane, he said.

The crew members wore heavily insulated suits designed to withstand cold water as they endured temperatures as low as 49 degrees Fahrenheit in winds of 35 miles per hour. One had a dislocated and broken leg while the others are uninjured, Harrison said.

After hoisting the officers and crew into helicopters, the Coast Guard flew them to the Aleutian village of Adak where there is an airfield and medical clinic.

Mitsui didn't disclose salvage plans or what make of cars were in the hold.

"Our first priority is to rescue the crew," Onuki, general manager of the Tokyo-based company's public relations office, said in a telephone interview.
From Bloomberg



http://www.alaskareport.com/coastguard10014.htm

[Rex Raider]

According to my rep at Toyota HQ, no Toyotas were on baord. There is rumored to be at least 1500 Mazdas.

[oudidntkn0w]

Originally Posted by johnny smallblock

Toyota will tell us they did this to help GM recover market share.

Nah they were just trying to cover up another massive recall *in japanese voice* "if they cant find the cars, then no recall haha, lets just make the camcord $1500 more to make up for it"

[King Riffle]

They were all Daihatsu Charades!

Just kidding. That would be sad, Daihatsus are cool. Seriously though, I hope they aren't Mazdas. That would suck for Mazda and Ford.

[AMcA]

4815 Japanese cars on the bottom of the ocean . . . .

D'ja ever hear this one: "What do you call 1,000 dead lawyers?"

"A good start."

I hope those new aquariums were Toyotas.