Rough Baltic Seas Leave British Ship in Distress

British merchant ship, SCOT ISLES, sent out a distress call at 8 a.m. on Monday after encountering rough seas that left the vessel listing off the coast of the Swedish Island of Gotland.

Seas were reportedly three to five meters with thick fog, and winds at 15 meters per second. Sea Rescue sent a helicopter from Visby to bring the crew to safety, but the ship’s captain refused to evacuate his vessel, opting instead for an escort to shore.

The vessel and seven crew members onboard were escorted to safety by Swedish and Latvian coast guard. No injuries have been reported.

The SCOT ISLES is a UK–flagged box shaped single deck cargo ship owned by Hohebank Shipping Ltd. and operated by Intrada Ships Management Ltd., both based in the UK.

Photo credit: Kustbevakningsflyget502