Cargo ship runs aground on reef

A 526-foot long, 16,000-ton cargo ship ran aground on the reef off Micro Beach as it was entering the Saipan channel on its way to the Port of Saipan early yesterday morning.

No one was reported injured among the 17 crew of the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged container ship Paul Russ and that no oil spill or damage to the vessel was reported, according to CNMI Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management special assistant Marvin K. Seman.

A man watches the vessel Paul Russ, a 527 feet container ship, which went aground on the reef off Micro Beach as it was entering the Saipan channel early yesterday morning. No one was injured and no oil spill was reported. (Roselyn Monroyo)

The U.S. Coast Guard captain of Port Guam immediately established a 500-yard safety zone around the grounded Paul Russ in the vicinity of Buoy No. 3.

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam warned that mariners are not authorized to go within the zone without authorization.

“Mariners, recreational boaters and persons are advised to exercise extreme caution in areas in the vicinity around the safety zone due to the dangers associated with a ground vessel,” the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.

The vessel reportedly came from Okinawa. It was tilting a bit to the left as it rested on the reef.

In an interview, Seman said they are still trying to determine the actual cause of the incident. He said there are some indications that weather might be the factor.

It was raining hard yesterday and waters in the channel were rough.

Seman said they received a call at 7am about a vessel that went aground.

He said Paul Russ regularly comes to Saipan to deliver cargoes to the islands. He said the vessel is carrying household supplies as well as fuel such as butane and propane.

Seman said they had a chance to talk to the crew and that they are doing fine and are just monitoring to make sure that nothing goes wrong with the vessel.

He said the Department of Public Safety’s Boating Safety, Commonwealth Ports Authority, Division of Fish and Wildlife, and Bureau of Environmental and Coastal Quality are monitoring the situation.

A unified command center was established at the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s Seaport Office to coordinate response efforts.

A command post for the operations side was also put up at the DPS Boating Safety Unit at Smiling Cove.

Seman said that partners from the regulatory side, the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife, and biologists are there to determine and give a better assessment of the damage to the reef and impact.

At the same time, Seman said, DPS Boating Safety is there to ensure that in the event something wrong does happen, there will be first responders.

He said they are working together with a shipping agent as well as the responsible party to make a determination on a salvage plan.

Seman said the plan is basically identifying details as to how they are going to get the vessel out safely, ensuring that its integrity is not compromised at any point to prevent more problems.