The incident occurred early Saturday morning when the Marine Communications and Traffic Services Centre in Channel-Port aux Basques received a mayday call from the cargo ship, which was about 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) from the entrance to the Bay of Islands.
The vessel reported a loss of power and could not secure an anchor due to adverse weather conditions.
A winter storm warning was in effect then, with winds reaching 120 km/h. Ferry services between Port aux Basques and Nova Scotia were also canceled due to the weather.
Rescue Efforts
Shortly after the power failure, the ship ran aground in Wild Cove, west of Lark Harbour, with 20 crew members on board.
Rescue efforts were carried out by the Halifax Joint Rescue Coordination Centre, with support from search and rescue aircraft, including a Cormorant helicopter. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel Henry Larsen was also in the area assisting the operation. All crew members were successfully airlifted to safety.
Premier Andrew Furey confirmed the safe evacuation of the crew. The cause of the power failure aboard the MSC Baltic III has not yet been determined. The grounding occurred on the anniversary of the Ocean Ranger disaster, which claimed 84 lives.