Survey Vessel Runs Aground Off Northern Coast Of Italy’s Elba

The Fugro Mercator, a geophysical survey vessel, ran aground off the northern coast of Elba, Italy, on March 22, 2025.

The Italian Coast Guard quickly responsed by arriving at the scene to assist and monitor the situation. Fortunately, all 11 crew members aboard were safely evacuated and brought to shore without any injuries.

Authorities, local officials, and international salvage experts have now begun preparations for a recovery operation to refloat the vessel.

The exact cause behind the grounding of the vessel is still unclear. Per reports, the 42-meter-long research ship had been conducting survey operations off Elba’s coast.

However, worsening weather conditions, forced it to seek shelter, which ultimately led to the incident.

Fugro, the company operating the vessel, has stated that it is carrying out a full review of the event as part of its standard protocol.

Reference: Fugro

Source: Maritime Shipping News