The following is the text of a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard:
(WILMINGTON, N.C.) — The Coast Guard worked with the owner of a grounded cargo ship to ensure its safe refloating after the vessel ran aground in Beaufort Inlet Channel on Thursday.
Watch standers at Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a call via landline at 1:15 p.m. that the 590-foot cargo ship Pola Palekh ran aground in the vicinity of buoy 16A in the channel.
Sector North Carolina watch standers issued a safety marine information broadcast and launched a 29-foot response boat-small crew from Coast Guard Station Fort Macon to assess the cargo ship and the channel.
Pola Palekh was carrying 35,800 metric tons of fertilizer and holds approximately 27,000 gallons of fuel oil.
The acting captain of the port for Sector North Carolina, Cmdr. Quincy Davis, temporarily closed the channel to deep-draft commercial traffic.
At approximately 8:18 p.m., tugboats assisted Pola Palekh off the shoaling and escorted the vessel to Morehead City State Port Terminal by about 8:45 p.m.
The acting captain of the port reopened Beaufort Inlet Channel to all marine traffic.
No injuries, pollution or damage to the vessel have been reported.
