The five on board FS Bjugnfjord have been picked up by helicopter after the ship had a heavy list between Kullen in Skåne and Gilleleje in Denmark.
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The ship is located 20 kilometers west of Kullen, reports Aftonbladet. Sydsvenskan reports that it is a Norwegian vessel, and that the five are all Norwegian.
– The Norwegian Maritime Administration’s helicopter is there and picks up people. It is in the middle of the strait, says Fredrik Strömbäck, spokesman for the Swedish Maritime Administration, to Sydsvenskan.
He informs NTB that it is a question of FS Bjugnfjord, a 65 meter long cargo vessel.
Allan Mortensen, an officer on duty at the Armed Forces’ Operations Center in Denmark, says that a Danish and two Swedish helicopters have been deployed, and the frigate Niels Juel is also on its way.
No serious injuries
The alarm went off just before 8 pm, and the vessel is said to have had five on board. By 10.30 pm, they were all rescued by the ship, according to Strömbäck.
– This has happened in Danish waters, but we participate by helicopter and have another on standby. Five people have been winched up, says Daniel Ståleby, assistant rescue leader at the Swedish sea and air rescue center to Aftonbladet.
Two have been hoisted up from the vessel and three from a lifeboat, he states.
According to Emma Nykvist, who is the assistant rescue leader, no one has been seriously injured.
– As far as we know, they are fine, and are in good condition according to the conditions, she says to Sydsvenskan.
Bad weather
Strömbäck states that north winds of around 12 meters per second are blowing in the area.
– Of course it is tough conditions, but the crews are trained for it, he says.
To Ritzau, Mortensen from the Armed Forces’ Operations Center says that on Thursday night it has not been possible to get the crew from the ship to speak to get clarity on what happened. It will probably happen on Friday, according to him.
The reason why the ship has been tilted seems to be that the cargo has overturned or moved.
– It has been very bad weather, with strong winds and waves, which has caused the load to shift, Nykvist says to Sydsvenskan.
Surveys
The Danish frigate, together with a ship from the Swedish Coast Guard, will keep an eye on the ship through the night, to see if anything should leak out, and to make sure that no one else sails past the ship.
– The ship is quite low in the water, and the risk of it sinking is quite large. That is why no attempt has been made to tow the ship, Mortensen explains.
The environmental ship Mette Miljø is on its way from Frederikshavn and is expected to arrive when it gets light on Friday. The ship is loaded with contaminated soil, and was on its way from Copenhagen to Randers.
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