Seven crew rescued as cargo ship sinks off Ramsgate

The UK Coastguard co-ordinated an extensive search and rescue effort on Saturday night after a 90m cargo vessel sank near the Kent coast, in Force 9 north westerly winds.

Onboard THV Patricia which deployed emergency wreck marker bouys around the wreck. Credit: Steven Westy

Search and rescue helicopters from Lydd and Lee-on-Solent, the RNLI all-weather lifeboat from Ramsgate, a Dutch search-and-rescue helicopter and multiple merchant vessels have all assisted in the search and rescue effort, approximately 35 nautical miles north east of Ramsgate.

Steve Carson, UK Coastguard duty commander said: ‘Following a MAYDAY broadcast from the sinking vessel, we sent multiple assets to the scene to rescue the crew who abandoned ship. The weather on scene has been challenging but we are pleased to report that all the crew have been rescued and are on their way to hospital.’

Ramsgate RNLI’s all weather lifeboat launched at 11.54pm on Saturday to attend the incident.

As the lifeboat headed to the location the ship sank with the crew taking to liferafts. Two other ships closer to the sinking vessel managed to rescue them all and from which they were subsequently airlifted to hospital by the Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter based at Lydd.

The UK Coastguard tasked the lifeboat crew to search for the sunken vessel’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPERB) which they located and recovered and after being stood down returned to Ramsgate, arriving at 5.10am.

The sunken cargo ship is said to be 40m deep.