H&S Wisdom: Cargo ship stuck in Humber Estuary successfully re-floated

The 260ft-long H&S Wisdom became lodged on a sandbank in the Humber Estuary on March 2 and was stuck there ever since.

Humber Rescue, a charity which provides search and rescue operations, had tried to free the ship three times but were unsuccessful and had to wait until there was a higher tide.

But the ship was finally "successfully refloated" following "extensive efforts over the past several days" at around 7pm on Saturday (March 15).

A Humber Rescue spokesperson said: "On the evening of Saturday, 15th March, at approximately 19:00, the H&S Wisdom was successfully refloated near Brough following extensive efforts over the past several days.

"Since Thursday, our crew has been assisting with the transfer of surveyors to and from the vessel to support the operation.

"The crew aboard the H&S Wisdom has worked tirelessly to offload cargo, giving the vessel the best possible chance of refloating.

"The refloat saw multiple tugs on standby, ready to assist if needed.

"After careful coordination and determined efforts, the vessel is now afloat once more."

According to MarineTraffic, the cargo ship departed from Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday, March 1, and had been on its way to Gunness Wharf Port, near Scunthorpe, Lincs., when it hit the ground.

The crew of the ship were reportedly still on board the ship, which has a gross tonnage of 1,552 which refers to the volume of its internal space.

Ship owners H&S Group have been contacted for comment.