15925: (Hermantin) Miami Herald-Freighter sinks off Hollywood (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

From: leonie hermantin <lhermantin@hotmail.com>

Posted on Mon, Jun. 16, 2003



Freighter sinks off Hollywood

BY ELAINE DE VALLE
edevalle@herald.com

A coastal freighter on the way to Haiti with food and supplies sank off the
coast of Hollywood this morning, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

The agency got a call from the crew of the Honduran-flagged Silhouette about
midnight, said Petty Officer Danielle DeMarino, a Coast Guard spokeswoman.

''They were severely listing and taking on water,'' DeMarino said.

A rescue boat from the Coast Guard's Fort Lauderdale station was dispatched
and all nine crew members were taken ashore. The Haitian men are being
detained by immigration and U.S. Customs authorities, DeMarino said.

The 160-foot freighter left Miami on Saturday en route to Haiti, carrying
rice and beens, cooking oil, and other supplies, she said.

``They had engine problems and drifted for a day, ending up by Hollywood,
where they anchored. But they couldn't fix the problem and they started
taking on water.''

After the crew members were rescued, a commercial salvage service was called
to tow the 160-foot freighter, originally about a mile or mile and a half
from the beach, away from the shore, DeMarino said.

''It was already severely listing and we wanted it out of a high-traffic
area and in deep water so if it did sink it would not cause a hazard to
other vessels,'' she said.

When the towline was relased, DeMarino explained, the freighter capsized and
sank in 300 feet of water.

''We have our marine safety office monitoring the situation and keeping an
eye out for any enviornmental issues,'' DeMarino said.

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