In rough weather, the 100-metre long container ship Rise Shine ran aground at Vostok Bay west of Nakhodka, Russia, Japan Sea, on 9 November.
Around 06:02 local time, the ship sent out a distress signal. As far as it could be determined, the vessel reached the Vostochny Port from Busan and headed towards the Vostok Bay to seek shelter from the storm, but couldn’t hold out against the strong wind and the rough seas.
All of the 14 crew members, reportedly of Chinese nationality, were reported to be safe and were still on board. Russia deployed the Search and Rescue (SAR) tug Lazurit from Vladivostok in an attempt to rescue the stranded crew members.
The Panama-flagged cargo ship was reported to be stuck and split in half near the port of Nakhodka in Russia’s Primorye Territory sailing from China’s Ningbo port. According to media sources, the hull of the Rise Shine fractured in the heavy waves, while other reports stated that the vessel was split in two, but it is not confirmed.
The Russian emergency services deployed a rescue vessel from Vladivostok, but it was subsequently decided that the only solution to rescue the vessel’s crew would be to arrange an airlift.
All 14 members of the crew were safely evacuated by a Mi-8 helicopter. Reports suggested there were 199 containers with consumer products such as car spare parts, printers, vacuum cleaners, diapers, and so on. The ship was also reported to be carrying 300 tonnes of fuel and lubricants. There have been no complaints of environmental repercussions so far.
