Captain of the Port says new technologies facilitated OS35 response

New technologies, including thermal imaging drone footage, allowed operations to be carried out around the clock following the collision of the OS 35 bulk carrier.

Speaking on GibTalks, the Captain of the Port gave a chronological explanation of the Port Authority's response on the 29th of August when the incident occurred.

The Captain of the Port used never before seen footage of the moments before and after the collision between the OS35 and the Adam LNG. John Ghio however warned he was restricted in what he could show or say because the issue is currently with the Courts.

He said the Vessel Traffic Services had been concerned with the situation, shortly after the vessel, which had come to Gibraltar to take bunkers and provisions, had requested to leave.

The Port Authority fixed their cameras on it with the OS35 made aware of the situation. Both ships, the OS 35 and the Adam LNG only confirmed contact half an hour later.

An hour after the collision the forward section of the OS 35's hull had already sank more than seven metres.

John Ghio again defended the decision to move the ship to shallow waters and ground it there, saying the alternative would have been that it sank in 17 and a half metres of water, which could have been an environmental disaster.