newsAugust 8, 2016 at 5:08 pm

The Orkney based Coastguard emergency tug left Kirkwall yesterday, Sunday, having been tasked to the semi-submersible drilling rig Transocean Winner which went aground on the Western Isles.

Overnight on Sunday, Stornoway Coastguard was in communication with the tug Alp Forward which encountered severe weather west of the Isle Of Lewis, while towing the rig.

The tug remained connected to the rig overnight but was unable to make headway with the tow.

The MCA’s emergency towing vessel Herakles was deployed from Orkney on Sunday night to assist.

At 4.20am on Monday, the master of Alp Forward reported that the tow line had parted and due to the severe weather conditions was unable to reconnect the tow line, and the rig was risk of grounding on the west side of the Isle Of Lewis, near Carloway, which it then did. The Alp Forward remains on scene to visually monitor the rig, according to the MCA.

There are no personnel on board the rig and there is no risk to life. However, there is believed to be some 280 tonnes of diesel onboard the rig, prompting pollution fears.

Transocean and ALP Marine have established their emergency response rooms, while SMIT salvage has been mobilised to deal with the incident.

The MCA’s counter pollution branch and Secretary Of State’s Representative for Salvage and Intervention (SOSREP) are monitoring the situation. The local authority and Marine Scotland were also notified.

• Western Isles MP Angus MacNeil has called on the UK Government to reinstate the emergency towing vessel which was based in Stornoway, following the grounding of the rig.

Highlands and Islands Labour MSP, Rhoda Grant, has also again made the same call.

Local Authority environment group KIMO says that the incident shows that the current provision of just one emergency tug not enough to protect mariners and coastline.