Cement Carrier Refloated Offshore of Ft. Lauderdale

The crew of the Spar Orion was able to refloat the vessel under the ship's power after running aground just west of the designated anchorage off Fort Lauderdale Beach, Fla. The Spar Orion, a 623-foot cargo ship carrying more than 44,000 metric tons of cement had no noticeable damage to its hull and is currently anchored in a designated anchorage area one mile off Fort Lauderdale Beach. The vessel is not scheduled to enter Port Everglades until Monday. Various safety and hull inspections are scheduled to be completed while the vessel waits for berthing space at the port. A dive survey of the sea floor by state and federal agencies is scheduled for today to determine the extent of any damaged caused by the grounding. The Coast Guard continues to investigate the cause of the incident. There were no injuries or pollution reported in conjunction with the grounding. The Spar Orion is Norweigan-flagged vessel owned by Spar Shipholding of Norway with a crew of 22 people.