Grounded container ship MSC Baltic III damaged by ‘extreme wind’ and rough seas

CEDAR COVE : The grounded container ship MSC Baltic III on Newfoundland’s west coast has been damaged by high winds and storm surge in the province over the last few days, according to the Canadian Coast Guard.

An update the agency posted online Friday said extreme conditions have led to “a noticeable change in the condition of the port side of the vessel.”

As well, they wrote they have seen “significant movement” in the bow and stern.

The cargo ship ran aground in Cedar Cove, near Lark Harbour on the island’s west coast in February.

Since that time, cleanup and salvage has been ongoing.

Just last week the senior response officer with the Marine Environmental and Hazards Section of the Canadian Coast Guard, Bruce English, predicted that the vessel wouldn’t be removed until next summer at the earliest, as there was still some oil left in the tanks to be removed.

On Friday the salvage crew reported damage to their equipment onboard the Baltic III, and some debris visible floating in the water and on the shoreline.

Crews were on site conducting an assessment Saturday to determine the extent of the damage.