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Wreck of ship which received assistance drifted ashore

After the "UBC Sacramento" assisted in saving the crew of the Dominican flagged "FM Express", the crew of eight was treated at the naval facility at Barronquilla for minor bruises, but nothing serious. They stated that the fire aboard their ship started in the engine room. The crew was alarmed by the failure of the engine. The crew tried to fight the flames at the beginning, but it was impossible because of the magnitude of the fire. 20 minutes after contacting the naval port of Barranquilla, Coastguard units arrived on the scene to rescue them at 10.40 a.m. Six of the eight crew members were from the department of La Guajira and two of Bolivar. The wreck drifted ashore between Puerto Colombia and Puerto Velero after being adrift for more than one day on Mar 11. All cargo which was not lost was recovered by boats from Flores who sold the goods at bargain prices on the same day. Several fishermen went to sea and looted what remained on the ship. The owner was coordinating the procedure to tow the ship to port. The Coastguard and naval Atlantic group has conducted overflights and stated the wreck did not present a risk to ship traffic.

UBC Sacramento helped to save crew of blazing cargo ship

Enroute Cartagena-Barranquilla the "UBC Sacramento" on Mar 10, 2013, at 9 a.m. was contacted by the Barranquilla Port Control while approaching Barranquilla anchorage area if they could assist in a MayDay situation. The position received was rather unclear, because the first was a inland position. However the ship proceeded northward and could see grey and whilte smoke arising at the horizon after 10-15 minutes five miles off Bocas de Cenizas. When coming closer the crew received info from the port control that the crew of the "FM Express", 770 dwt (IMO: 7330076) was abandoning ship and drifting at the stern in the liferaft. The smoke became really thick. The fiercely burning "FM Express" was approached in dead slow speed, against 30 kn winds, making about 1.8 kn. The "UBC Sacramento" stopped for a monment when the starboard quarter came into view. There was a raft but nobody visible inside. A small Coast Guard boat did not see anything either. The freighter crew then spotted a red dot 1,1 miles North which was the roof of another life raft. The "UBS Sacramento" proceeded behind the Coast Guard boat with full speed. On the way the Coast Guard boat broke down with one engine. The "UBC Sacramento" was manoeuvered about 1 cable to the wind side. Both side pilot ladders were down into the water, lifebuoays and heavinglines on stand by. Bringing out the rescue boat would have neen a last option if needed. Then the Coast Guard boat managed again to approach the life raft. The "UBC Sacramento" stopped in the position being with the hope that the wind would not push the ship too quick onto the raft. The people managed rather quick to get from the raft to the Coast Guard vessel. By that time the freighter was only about 30-40 m away from the raft with the starboard aft quarter. On full ahead and hard-a-starboard the "UBS Sacramento" managed to get clear again. On the way back it made another pass at the burning ship because nobody could tell if the raft still attached to the vessel was empty or not. However the Crew could not see anyhing further. Then they received message from the Port Control that the crew of the "FM Express" was supposedly seven persons and that's what was counted from the bridge of the "UBS Sacramento" when they were pulled into the Coast Guard boat. The crew said a short circuit cause a fire in the engine room. The "FM Express" had been carrying a cargo of 300 tons consisting of appliances, dishes and food bound from Colon in Panama to Puerto Nuevo in La Guajira. Photos: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1760311 http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1760310 http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1760309 Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opxfbb0PFYQ Spanish reports with photos: http://www.latarde.com/actualidad/colombia/110739-se-incendio-barco-frente-a-bocas-de-ceniza http://zonacero.info/index.php/noticia-principal/34781-embarcacion-de-bandera-dominicana-se-incendio-en-aguas-colombianas