Wreck survey plan

INSPECTORS from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) will use a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) to survey the wreck of the Cypriot-registered cement carrier Cemfjord that capsized and sank two weeks ago in the Pentland Firth.

The MAIB said that they would take advantage of a forecast lull in the weather on Sunday and Monday to set off on the Northern Lighthouse Board vessel Pharos to carry out the work.

The ROV will be operated by salvage experts from the Ministry of Defence.

The Cemfjord capsized around 1pm on Friday 2 January before it could send out a Mayday. It is suspected that the ship must have been hit by a huge wave during a violent storm that gave the crew no time to sound the alarm.

The upturned hull was spotted by passengers and crew on board the NorthLink ferry Hrossey the following day, and was tracked until it sank in 70 metres of water, 20 miles east of Pentland Firth.

No survivors were recovered, and it is believed the eight crew of seven Poles and one Filipino perished on board.

The MAIB hopes to establish why the vessel foundered so rapidly, why none of the crew survived and why it took so long for the alarm to be raised.

As the wreck lies in an area of strong currents and poor visibility, a large ROV will be needed, which will be unable to enter the wreck.

Further investigation will depend on the outcome of the survey.