Stuck tanker finally freed

Photo: The Canadian Press

A tanker that ran aground off the coast of Cape Breton, N.S., last weekend was freed Sunday, a week after it became stuck in shallow water.

The Arca 1 was being towed to Sydney Harbour for repairs after the coast guard and salvage crews pulled the vessel from a bay near Little Pond, N.S.

Stephen Bornais, a coast guard spokesperson, said around 150 locals looked on as high tides lifted the 53-metre vessel from the seabed, allowing it to be pulled into deeper waters.

"It's in a marine community, so ... it was a knowledgeable crowd," Bornais said, "People seemed very appreciative."

Olous Boag of McKeil Marine, an Ontario-based salvage company, said the operation involved two tug boats and a more than 1,150-metre tow line. Salvage crews drained several hundred tonnes of water used as ballast to float the ship, Boag said, and its anchor was recovered from the sandy bottom.

Boag said Sunday's operation took less time than expected after a previous attempt failed last week and crews were dogged by weather-related delays.

"It's one of those situations where you're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," Boag said. "We had the right weather, a good tide, preparations for the tow and for the salvage crew all came together quite nicely to make this a success."

The coast guard has said the vessel was on its way to its Mexico owner Petroil Marine, when it ran aground Sunday after its engines failed during a storm. Six crew had to be airlifted to safety.

The tanker is empty aside from a few tonnes of engine fuel, said Boag, posing an "extremely low risk" to the environment.

Petroil Marine is responsible for the costs of removing the ship, which Boag said "isn't going to be cheap."