Italian Coast Guard Averts Grounding After Cargo Ship Loses Power Off Tuscany

The Italian Coast Guard successfully averted a potential grounding after the cargo vessel Master Nasser suffered a complete power failure and began drifting toward the Tuscan coast earlier this month.

The incident occurred on the afternoon of 9 January, when the 80-metre, Comoros-flagged vessel lost propulsion while sailing from La Spezia to Durres.

Following the outage, the ship went adrift in stormy seas off the coast of Tuscany, prompting a distress call.

Rescue operations were coordinated by the Livorno Maritime Rescue Secondary Center, operating under the supervision of the Coast Guard’s National Operations Center.

As part of the response, a helicopter was deployed from the Sarzana Air Base as a precautionary measure, while several merchant vessels in the area were diverted to assist.

Authorities continued to monitor the situation using aerial surveillance and shore-based assets. As the ship drifted closer to the coast near Viareggio, the Coast Guard stepped up its response.

A harbour pilot was airlifted onto the disabled ship to help stabilise the situation and assist with onboard assessments while weather and sea conditions were evaluated ahead of towing operations.

The pilot, Commander Michele Vullo of Marina di Carrara, worked alongside Coast Guard personnel onboard the vessel during the operation.

Despite adverse weather and sea conditions, no crew members were injured, and no pollution or environmental damage was reported.

The Master Nasser was later anchored approximately five nautical miles off Viareggio, at position 43°51′ N, 010°07′ E, where it remained stationary as of 12 January, awaiting improved weather conditions to allow towing operations to proceed safely.

Italy’s harbour pilots’ association, Fedepiloti, said the operation showed the importance of close cooperation between harbour pilots and the Coast Guard.

Reference: Italian Coast Guard

Source: Maritime Shipping News