A Russian cargo ship dragged its anchor in strong winds off the coast of the Falmouth, Cornwall on Tuesday, relocating the 180-meter vessel to within a few meters of the coast. The 180-meter long ship ‘Kuzma Minin,’ with 18 Russian crew on board, dragged its anchor in strong winds and grounded between the Swanpool and Gyllyngvase beaches near Falmouth in Cornwall, Reuters reports. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency said the 590ft (180m) bulk carrier registered in Russia, built in 1980, had dragged its anchor and had a list of about five degrees. The massive vessel, which had 18 Russian crew members on board but no cargo, was refloated in a "tricky and delicate" operation at high tide. The ship, which was stranded for around 10 hours, was not carrying any cargo and there were no reports of any pollution from the grounding. "Tugs are on their way to the vessel and a lifeboat is standing by at the scene. Dramatic footage posted on social media showed a rescuer from the local coastguard rescue team being lowered onto the huge ship during the operation to re-float it. The Falmouth Coastguard Rescue Team have cordoned off an area around the ship.” “Tugs will be attached to the vessel and as the tide rises, the plan is to re-float the vessel.”
Russian cargo vessel MV Kuzma Minin runs aground and then is refloated off Gyllyngvase, Cornwall, and taken to anchor in Falmouth Bay for inspection, according to the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.