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Trawler sank cargo ship off Cherbourg

On March 20, 2018, at 3.40 p.m. the Malta flagged cargo m/v "Britannica Hav",(IMO: 8506440), was struck by the "Deborah - Z 121", 385 gt (IMO: 8871766), in the English Canal 50 miles north-east of Cherbourg. The cargo vessel which was carrying a cargo of steel from Santander, where it had sailed on March 15, to Keadby, was breached amidships at port side, suffered water ingress and capsized. The seven Russian crew members of the freighter evacuated the ship aboard two life rafts and were recovered by the "Deborah". The CROSS Jobourg immediately deployed a Cayman Navy helicopter stationed at Maupertus with a team from the Querqueville Army Medical Center on board to take care for the crew, one of whom was slightly injured. The castaways were hoisted by helicopter and transferred to the Quergueville military base for further treatment.The captain of the fishing vessel, coming from Knokke-Heist, was also slightly wounded at the head but did not wish to be evacuated. His ship, which had suffered damage to the bow, returned to Zeebrugge on March 21 at 10 a.m. The master then went to hospital. The maritime operations center of the Maritime Prefecture sent the emergency tug "Abeille Liberté" (IMO: 9308699). Winds on scene were 30 km/h and the state of the sea rough. The capsized freighter remained afloat and was drifting with a speed of about three knots in southwest direction, monitored by the emergency tug and the patrol boat "Aramis" of the coastal police. Four hatches of 15x20 meters length separated from the wreck. They were marked and monitored too. A slight iridescence of gas oil has been observed. The freighter had 48 tons of light diesel fuel on board. Drift models indicated a limited spread of diesel around the hull. The Maritime Prefect of the Channel and the North Sea has requested anti pollution equipment from Brest along with the assistance of the anti pollution vessel "Argonaute" (IMO: 9269518) which left port towards Cherbourg. French reports with photos and video: https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/agriculture-peche/manche-apres-un-accident-au-large-de-cherbourg-la-coque-d-un-cargo-toujours-a-la-derive-1521625859 https://actu.fr/normandie/cherbourg-en-cotentin_50129/au-large-cherbourg-collision-entre-cargo-bateau-peche_16004413.html https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2018/03/21/vissers_komen_metschrikvrijnabotsingmetvrachtschip/ https://www.premar-manche.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/communique-collision-entre-navire-peche-cargo-equipage-est-sain-sauf-coque-est-retournee.html http://www.lemarin.fr/secteurs-activites/peche/30975-collision-le-chalutier-belge-endommage-le-cargo-maltais https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20180321_03421554 https://www.hln.be/regio/brugge/-schrik-van-ons-leven-beleefd~a81d1666/