Tubbataha salvage operation begins

From Rappler (Feb 22): Tubbataha salvage operation begins



ON SITE. The Jascon 25 crane vessel starts cutting up the USS Guardian into pieces. Graphic by Bardo Wu



Finally, the salvage operation to remove the USS Guardian that ran aground Tubbataha Reef Natural Park has started.

Thanks to better weather condition in the area on Friday, February 22, the Gibraltar-flagged Jascon 25, the lead crane ship in the salvage operation, has started establishing its position near the ship.

The salvage crews started analyzing how to cut up the USS Guardian to remove it from the area, the Philippine Coast Guard spokesman Armand Balilio said.

For a week, bad weather has kept the crew from operating Jascon 25 without anchoring.

Under the original salvage plan, the cranes were to lift the whole USS Guardian from the reef, but the Americans later changed their mind and decided to dismantle the minesweeper into sections and transfer these to a barge with the cranes, without moving the vessel to minimize damage to the coral.

The minesweeper ran aground over a month ago inside the protected area of the marine park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the world's top scuba diving destinations.

http://www.rappler.com/nation/22388-tubbataha-salvage-operation-begins