12th Vessel Runs Aground in as Many Years
Story and photo by PA1 Dana Warr, D7 Public Affairs
MIAMI -- Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has been able to keep pace with Florida's construction and population growth by establishing itself as one of the premier bulk cargo seaports in Florida, importing and exporting more than 3 million tons of raw materials each year.
Hoping to contribute to that success, a 645-foot cargo ship carrying more than 30,000 tons of bauxite left Sete, France and was scheduled to arrive in Port Everglades Sept. 14. The ship arrived on time, but just short of its destination.
Instead of arriving at one of the many berths at the port that day, offloading the aluminum ore used in making cement and contributing to the construction demands in South Florida, the Clipper Lasco, a Bahamian-flagged vessel, ran aground less than one mile off Fort Lauderdale Beach.
FT. LAUDERDALE BEACH, Fla. -- Salvage crews begin removing more than 2,000 tons of bauxite on board the 645-foot Bahamian-flagged vessel, Clipper Lasco, to help re-float the vessel after it ran aground less than a mile off Fort Lauderdale Beach. Coast Guard marine inspectors and pollution investigators from Coast Guard Sector Miami responded immediately to determine possible pollution, damage and threat to the ship and to the extent of the damage to sensitive coral reefs in the area. A 500-yard security zone was established around the bulk freighter and approximately 1,800 feet of oil-containment boom was placed around the vessel. Coast Guard photogrpah by PA1 Dana Warr.
Coast Guard watch-standers at Sector Miami tracked the Clipper Lasco on radar and realized the vessel was in imminent danger of running aground. Radio transmissions over emergency channel 16 to warn the captain of the ship did not help.
Coast Guard marine inspectors and pollution investigators responded immediately to determine possible pollution, damage and threat to the ship and to the extent of the damage to sensitive coral reefs in the area.
"The inherent synergy gained in the sector command construct between response and prevention, enabled first responders to be on scene and make initial environmental assessments within 30 minutes of the grounding," said Capt. Karl Schultz, Sector Miami's commanding officer and Captain of the Port.
Ninety minutes later, marine inspectors from Sector Miami were conducting a detailed analysis of the situation. A 500-yard safety zone was established around the bulk freighter and approximately 1,800 feet of oil-containment boom was placed around the vessel.
More than eight organizations began coordinating the removal of the vessel, including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, SWS First Response and Resolve Marine Group.
A detailed salvage plan was submitted by the vessel's owner less than 24 hours after the grounding. Three days and several modifications later operations to remove some of the cargo began.
Members of the unified command felt the removal of 2,000 metric tons of bauxite would be significant enough to re-float the vessel.
To accomplish this detailed task, a tug and barge already at sea was brought in to help remove the cargo. Five days after the Clipper Lasco grounded, through painstaking hours in finalizing the salvage plan and patience with the ocean tides, cargo lightering operations began.
Inspectors and investigators along with members of the Coast Guard Gulf Strike Team, from Mobile, Ala., remained on the vessel to over-see the entire operation. Twenty-four hours later, the ship was floating freely.
"The response to the grounding of the Clipper Lasco may not have seemed expedient, but we followed a deliberate planning processes to ensure that all aspects of the salvage operation, including any contingencies, were adequately addressed for the highest possible level of safety for response personnel, the environment and the vessel," said Schultz.
After the vessel was re-floated, tugs towed the Clipper Lasco to a designated anchorage area where divers inspected the hull for possible damage. The divers found nothing but a few scratches and the Captain of the Port approved the Clipper Lasco to finally enter port.
Schultz's highlighted the Sector organizational concept and the establishment of the National Incident Management System structure all contributed to the success of the salvage operation.
"This organization ensured that a well coordinated and timely decision making process was employed to ensure safety for the public and all responding personnel, security for the salvage operation and the most expedient re-floating of the vessel given some of the unique challenges posed by at-sea cargo lightering," said Schultz.
The cause of the grounding is still under investigation.
The Clipper Lasco is now marked as the twelfth commercial vessel to run aground on the coral laden bottom off Fort Lauderdale Beach in 12 years.
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