Public urged to keep clear as agencies work to remove stranded vessel

Members of the public are being warned to stay at least 500 metres away from the run-aground vessel MV Christina Debora off Sam Lord’s Castle, as national agencies work to assess the situation and determine how the ship will be removed.

The advisory was issued by the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, which said a government-led inter-agency task force has been activated to manage the response.

The Ministry said the vessel ran aground off Sam Lord’s Castle on Wednesday, January 28, after the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) received reports from local fishermen at approximately 12:33 p.m. that the ship had been sighted in the area.

According to the release, additional information was received around 5:30 p.m. indicating that the vessel appeared to be discharging an oil-like substance, prompting the activation of a national response.

The BDF subsequently deployed assets from its Drone Unit and the Barbados Coast Guard to investigate, while the inter-agency response included officials from the Department of Emergency Management, Environmental Protection Department, Barbados National Energy Company Limited, Coastal Zone Management Unit, Ministry of Health, Barbados Government Information Service and the Barbados Police Service.

A joint assessment conducted on Thursday by the BDF, DEM, CZMU, EPD, Ministry of Health and the Barbados Fire Service determined that there was no evidence of hydrocarbons in the surrounding waters and that no oil spill was present.

The Ministry said attempts were made by the Barbados Coast Guard and the Coastal Zone Management Unit to free the vessel in an effort to minimise reef damage, but those efforts were unsuccessful. Adverse weather conditions also prevented further action on Friday.

National agencies are continuing efforts to determine the next steps for removing the vessel from Cobblers Reef.

In the meantime, the public has been advised to maintain a minimum distance of 500 metres from the area, and members of the public are not to approach or board the vessel under any circumstances.