Amid bad weather conditions and high winds, the drilling vessel Valaris DS4 broke free from its moorings off the North Ayrshire coast.
In fact, the drilling vessel was moored at Hunterston Terminal in Scotland, when began to drift without power.
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Therefore, the 8 crewmembers that were onboard deployed the ship’s anchors.
Following the situation, a mayday call was received by the Coastguard at 19:22 on Tuesday evening, amid fears that the vessel could drift towards the Isle of Cumbrae or the nuclear intake cooling pipe at Hunterston.
“HM Coastguard received a mayday call just after 19:20 (7.20pm) yesterday evening (February 2) after a drillship, with eight crew on board, broke from its mooring at Hunterston Terminal and started to drift without power”.
…Coast Guard said in its statement.
What is more, lifeboats and several tug boats were called to assist the operation.
According to BBC news agency, Noah Ship Management, the technical managers of the drilling ship, informed that the quayside moorings failed in high winds.
HM Coastguard said power has now been restored to the Valaris DS4’s engines and work is under way to return it to the terminal.
Thankfully none of the 8 crewmembers onboard the vessel got hurt as a result of the incident.