Damaged freighter Fremantle Highway to be towed to Groningen port

The burnt-out, damaged freighter Fremantle Highway will be towed to the Eemshaven in Groningen on Thursday morning. Exactly when this will happen is “highly dependent on weather, current, and tide,” the Rijkswaterstaat said.

The freighter is currently held in position 16 kilometers north of Schiermonnikoog and Ameland. According to the Rijkswaterstaat, Minister Mark Harbers of Infrastructure decided on Eemshaven due to the short distance between it and the ship’s current location (64 kilometers) and the worsening weather conditions. “By keeping the towing distance as short as possible, the risks are limited.”

The Eemshaven also has the infrastructure and facilities required for the next steps in salvaging the Fremantle Highway, the public works department added.

The situation on the ship is stable, and there are no signs of fires still burning on board, the Rijkswaterstaat said. Experts on board will constantly monitor the ship during the towing, and the vessel will be accompanied by the Coast Guard ship, the Guardian, and the Rijkswaterstaat’s oil recovery vessel Arca.

The fire on the Fremantle Highway, carrying nearly 4,000 cars, broke out on the North Sea north of Ameland late at night on July 25. The captain called for help for him and his 22 crew members. When the helicopter didn’t arrive quickly, some crew members had to jump overboard to escape the flames. One crew member died in the fire, and multiple others were hurt. The fire burned for nearly a week, with Rijkswaterstaat reporting on Tuesday that it seemed to be out.