Salvors Pull MSC Baltic III Wreck Closer To Shore After Being Grounded Since February 2025

Salvors have pulled the wreck of the containership MSC Baltic III about 53 metres closer to shore in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.

US salvage company Resolve Marine is continuing to cut up the ship and remove material from the wreck. So far, crews have removed about 4,200 tonnes, or around 40% of the vessel’s total tonnage.

Resolve Marine plans to pull the wreck further during high tides. The higher water level will give the wreck more buoyancy as it is moved towards shore.

The Liberian-flagged ship ran aground in February 2025 after losing power in bad weather. The ship is being dismantled as it is moved towards land instead of being refloated.

Pulling work started on July 31 after the ship’s superstructure and cargo had been removed.

The MSC Baltic III had 472 containers onboard when it grounded. All but one have now been removed. The damaged container is expected to stay attached to the wreck until it reaches shore.

A scrap pad has been completed on the shoreline for a crane that is being used for the lightering work.

Workers had been using a cableway to reach the ship. That cableway is now being removed, and workers are using a temporary gangway from shore.

Pollution checks are continuing while the wreck is being removed.

The Canadian Coast Guard said a slight sheen was recently seen outside the wreck. Some fuel is still inside the ship’s holds.

An absorbent boom has been placed inside the holds to help stop pollution from escaping.

Teams are also checking the shoreline every day when it is safe to do so. Small amounts of tar balls and other oil-related material have been found and removed.

The Coast Guard has asked people to stay away from the work site and follow instructions from local authorities and response teams.

How The Ship Ran Aground?

The 207-metre MSC Baltic III lost power on February 15, 2025, about 12 nautical miles outside the entrance to the Bay of Islands on Newfoundland’s west coast.

The crew could not secure an anchor because of the bad weather, and the ship grounded at Wild Cove, west of Lark Harbour.

All 20 people onboard were airlifted by a Royal Canadian Air Force CH-149 Cormorant helicopter. Four crew members were injured.

MSC Baltic III is operated by MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, the world’s largest shipping company.

References: portnews, Canadian Coast Guard