MV Ushuaia accidents and incidents

04 December 2008Ship Grounding

On December 4, 2008, at ~10:30 am, the ship ran aground on a rock near Wilhelmina Bay (Antarctica). The collision resulted in serious hull damages (breach) and diesel oil leak (from the breached fuel tanks). No injuries were reported.

The UK Coast Guard started a rescue operation. The disabled vessel was first assisted by MV Antarctic Dream (at ~1:30 pm), then by the Russian icebreaking vessel Grigoriy Mikheev (research/survey ship) arriving around 3 pm. Two Chilean Navy ships (named AP-41 Aquiles, and Lautaro) were dispatched from port Ushuaia (Argentina), arriving at the location on the next day (Dec 5).

Reportedly, the weather in the Antarctic Peninsula was horrible, with strong winds up to 15 m/s and gust winds up to 30 m/s. The cruise ship had scheduled Zodiac landing at Danco Island in the morning. It was cancelled due to strong winds and the ship continued north to Wilhelmina Bay as an alternative landing.

Both passenger ships (Antarctic Dream and Grigoriy Mikheev) remained near MV Ushuaia to provide assistance in case of emergency. On December 5, all passengers were disembarked and transferred to the Navy ship Aquiles, then transported to the Chilean Antarctic station "Base Presidente Eduardo Frei Montalva" (arriving there by midnight). On December 6, they were all flown to Ushuaia on an Argentinian Air Force craft Hercules C-130 TC-69.

On December 8, the grounded ship was refloated (assisted by the Navy ship Lautaro) and continued under its own power to Paradise Bay. In port Punta Arenas (Chile) it arrived on Dec 18 and on Dec 24 entered into a 40-day drydock for repairs.