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Riga under tow to Caen

On March 19, 2017, around 5 p.m. the "Riga", underway with a cargo of ore from Dunkerque to Caen suffered engine damage off Fécamp and went adrift about 27 kilometers off the coast. The crew of the "Riga" was not able to restore the power and decided to drop anchor. At 9 p.m. an emergency was declared. Given the bad weather conditions with strong wind, the Maritime Operations Center of the Maritime Préfecture of the Channel and the North Sea (Premar) decided to deploy the emergeny tug "Abeille Languedoc". In fact the anchor did not keep the "Riga" in position, and before nightfall and deteriorating weather conditions, the authorities decided that the "Abeille Languedoc" had to take the "Riga" in tow. The freighter was under tow shortly before 9 p.m. The convoy headed to Caen. The "Riga" berthed at Blainville-sur-Orne in Caen-Ouistreham around 5.30 p.m. At the same time, the "Abeille Liberté", stationed in Cherbourg took position at the Greenwich buoy, in order to ensure the safety in the entire maritime zone.