Captain of stranded ship still on board

ONE MONTH on, the large commercial ship which ran aground in Paphos during bad weather on December 8 is still stranded on the rocks, and the captain is still on board.

According to Peyia police the vessel – which was on its way to Rhodes from Limassol when it was grounded – is still stuck on the rocks, and they have no idea if or when it will be removed.

A Peyia police spokesman told the Sunday Mail: ”As far as we are aware it hasn’t yet been decided if the ship will be moved or not, the owners of the vessel are currently discussing the matter with the navy’s commercial department.”

The ship is stranded 15 metres from shore in Paphos’ Sea Caves area, and concern over the precarious position of the vessel is mounting.

“I’m sure there will be storms, and I’m worried that the ship will become dislodged and cause serious problems,” said Peyia resident Monika Bleckson.

“I pass the ship every day and I can’t believe weeks later that it’s still there. Action must be taken to move it; we don’t want another wreck in the area. It will create another eyesore.”

Further along the coast the Honduran-flagged Demetrios II ran aground in stormy seas in 1998. Plans to scuttle the wreck were shelved last year after a study revealed it had deteriorated into a rust bucket and must now be removed.

After the latest incident the ship’s captain and first engineer remained on board the vessel, but the rest of the crew were transferred to a hotel in Limassol. According to police, the captain is now on board alone and will probably remain on board until a decision on the ship’s fate is taken.

The spokesman said: “The captain isn’t vacating the ship, if he did this would mean that anyone could claim the vessel, especially if it’s removed.”

No-one was hurt during the incident in December, but the crew of seven had to be airlifted to safety by a police helicopter.

Police confirmed the ship had run aground due to bad weather, with winds reaching gale force.

 

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