Fugro vessel safe in port after grounding in Italy, no harm made

A 42-meter-long geophysical survey vessel owned by Fugro that ran aground in Italy on Saturday, March 22, had been safely brought to port, the Dutch company reported.

The Fugro Mercator ran aground on the north coast of Elba, Italy, when it went looking for shelter due to deteriorating weather conditions while performing survey work.

Fugro reported today, March 28, that no person or the environment had suffered any injuries or harm, and the vessel was successfully towed to a shipyard for inspection.

A full review of the event will be carried out to learn what the cause was.

“We are very grateful to the Italian coastguard and our partners for their swift and effective response in evacuating our crew and salvaging the Fugro Mercator,” said Erik-Jan Bijvank, Fugro’s Group Director Europe & Africa. “The safety of our crew and the protection of the environment are our top priorities, and we are relieved that both were upheld during this challenging event.”

Fugro Mercator was performing survey work for the Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) as part of the Italian government’s Marine Ecosystem Restoration (MER) Project.

To minimize the overall impact of the incident on the project, Fugro Helmert will sail to the Mediterranean shortly to pick up the work.