The Dutch freighter "Eemslift Hendrika", which was in distress at sea, was secured on Thursday night. Salvage crews succeeded in boarding the ship and connecting it to two tugboats. This was announced by the Norwegian Coastal Administration. It will now be towed to the harbour of the Norwegian city of Ålesund.
In view of the weather conditions, it had previously been feared that the 112-metre-long ship belonging to the Dutch shipping company Amasus Shipping, with 350 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 50 tonnes of diesel on board, could run aground. This could have polluted sensitive natural areas in the area.
The freighter had been drifting without crew for days in the North Sea between Bergen and Trondheim. The "Eemslift Hendrika" was on its way from Bremerhaven to Kolvereid in Norway when the ship took a heavy list in stormy seas, Norwegian authorities said on Tuesday. The crew of twelve had sent out a distress call on Monday and were rescued from the freighter by helicopter.