Ship Grounded on Taka Atoll
January 4, 2019: The commercial fishing vessel, the Ou Ya Leng No. 6, ran aground at remote Taka Atoll in the north of the Marshall Islands on January 3. According to Kenneth Kramer of the local company PII, on Friday they deployed two tugs to the atoll to “assess the situtation” while they await the owner’s decision on getting the ship off the reef … or not.
Meanwile, in a report from the Honolulu Star Advertiser (www.staradvertiser.com) a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft from Barbers Point that was on Wake Island responding to a car carrier ship fire from Monday was sent today to check on the 308-foot Chinese-flagged commercial fishing vessel Ou Ya Leng, which ran aground on the Atoll after taking on water.
Initial reports from the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center China stated the 24 crew members from the Ou Ya Leng No. 6 abandoned ship and were on the atoll, the Coast Guard said.
But on arrival, the Hercules crew confirmed they are aboard the vessel and using emergency generator power, officials said. There are no reports of injuries or pollution.
Two fishing vessels are en route and expected to arrive Thursday to provide aid. The Republic of the Marshall Islands also dispatched patrol vessel Lomor to respond.
To see a chart and photos of Taka Atoll, go to this link on this site: https://www.infomarshallislands.com/atolls-m-w/taka-atoll/
