Container Ship Takes On Severe List at Liverpool Port

The crew of the container ship MSC Matilde abandoned ship onto the pier at the port of Liverpool on Friday after their vessel took on a severe list to starboard. 

Her Majesty's Coast Guard received an emergency call from Peel Ports at about 0230 hours Friday, and the port operator reported that the Matilde was listing away from her berth on the River Mersey. The Crosby Coastguard Rescue Team and the RNLI Hoylake lifeboat were dispatched to the scene, and two tugs and a pollution response vessel were placed on standby.

The RNLI's lifeboat crew arrived on scene and found that the Matilde's 23 crew members had already been evacuated safely to the shore and commercial tugs were already on scene standing by. Some of the crew reboarded to attempt to correct the list, according to RNLI, and after several hours of ballast transfer she was brought back to an even keel. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) surveyors boarded her to check the ship for damage and confirm that she was safe and seaworthy.

"Thanks to the efforts of the container ship’s crew, they were able to prevent the incident from becoming much more serious and ultimately save their vessel," said Hoylake RNLI coxswain Andy Dodd. 

No pollution or injuries have been reported in connection with the incident. The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) has been informed of the casualty.