Stricken tanker re-floated off Cornish coast
A tanker which ran aground on New Year's Day causing 150 villagers to be evacuated from their homes has been successfully refloated.
The 3,000-tonne vessel 'MV Willy' became stuck on rocks after running aground near the villages of Kingsand and Cawsand in East Cornwall.
Following repairs and the removal of some fuel from her tanks, the vessel was successfully re-floated.
This afternoon she is being towed by tug towards Falmouth where she is expected to undergo further repair work.
Compressed air was pumped into the Cypriot-registered vessels's cargo tanks to give her buoyancy during the re-floating and towage operations.
For the journey to Falmouth, she is being escorted by the crane vessel Grey Mammoth and the British Maritime and Coastguard Agency's towing vessel Far Sky.
Robin Middleton, Secretary of State representative for Maritime Salvage said: "This has been a particularly sensitive incident given the nature of the area in which the 'MV Willy' found herself.
"We have been working closely with the Queen's Harbour Master, salvors and the local authorities to quickly resolve this situation and minimise the risk to the local environment. I am very pleased by the way the salvage operation has been carried out in such an efficient manner and by the excellent contingency planning carried out locally."
When the 21-year-old vessel ran aground on the night of January 1, she had already offloaded her cargo of petrol at Plymouth.
However because there was still vapour in her tanks, officials were worried about the risk of explosion and around 150 villagers were advised to leave their homes, but they were able to return once the risk had reduced.
