A Liberian-flagged oil tanker has been forced to anchor off the Isle of Wight amid fears stowaways are trying to seize control of the ship.
The 228-metre Nave Andromeda, which has been at sea since leaving Nigeria earlier this month, is currently anchored to the East of the Island near Ventnor.
Island Echo is told that the crew have taken secure refuge following the discovery of a number of stowaways on board, who are attempting to hijack the tanker.
A 3-mile exclusion zone has been put in place around the vessel, which can be clearly seen from high points in Shanklin and Ventnor.
Coastguard Rescue 175 helicopter from Lee-on-Solent has been circling the area as the situation unfolds.
The incident is likely to lead to the involvement of the Armed Forces, including the Royal Navy and the Special Boat Service (SBS).
UPDATE @ 14:24 – Hampshire Constabulary have positioned an officer on observation duty at the top of Cowleaze, monitoring the vessel from afar.
A spokesperson for the force has said:
“We are aware and dealing with an ongoing incident on board a vessel which is situated south of the Isle of Wight”.
HM Coastguard have also issued a brief statement:
“We are currently assisting Hampshire Constabulary with an incident on board a vessel situated off the Isle of Wight.
Article continues below this advertisement “The search and rescue helicopters from Lee on Solent and Lydd are in attendance”.
The situation remains largely unchanged since the alarm was raised at around 10:30.
UPDATE @ 17:03 – As night falls, there is no indication on how this incident will conclude with the vessel still at sea and the stowaways still on board.
Island Echo can now report that there are believed to be 6 or 7 stowaways on the vessel. They became violent towards the crew, who have been left fearing for their lives.
The Captain has pleaded for assistance.
The Metropolitan Police have become involved in the operation with a helicopter circling overhead. The National Police Air Service Helicopter from Bournemouth is also now present in the local area.
Bembridge RNLI Lifeboat has launched and is standing by, as is Selsey RNLI Lifeboat.
It is unclear if the Special Boat Service are to be called in, although the presence of a Chinook helicopter travelling towards the SBS base in Dorset has raised questions about military involvement.
UPDATE @ 18:05 – The operation to bring the situation to a safe and peaceful conclusion continues this evening.
2 lifeboats and Police launches are holding off in the vicinity of Sandown Bay, with 2 helicopters circling overhead.
There has been no official update from Police or the Ministry of Defence, however, Lloyds List state it is believed the individuals boarded the Nave Andromeda through the rudder whilst in Nigeria.
UPDATE @ 18:50 – It is understood that the Special Boat Service has been requested to assist with bringing the incident to a conclusion.
2 Chinook helicopters are understood to have left the Royal Marines base in Dorset and are using the cover of darkness to take action.
Hampshire Constabulary has issued an updated statement:
“At 10.04am today (25 October) concerns were raised to police for the welfare of crew on board the Nave Andromeda – a vessel situated approximately six miles off the coast of Bembridge, Isle of Wight.
“The vessel had been travelling in the direction of Southampton.
“It was reported that a number of stowaways were on board, and they had made verbal threats towards the crew. No one has been reported injured.
“An exclusion zone, with a three mile radius, is currently in place near the vessel.
“Police are currently working closely with our partners, including the Maritime & Coastguard Agency and Border Force, to bring this incident to a safe conclusion”.
UPDATE @ 19:30 – It is thought that military action is being taken at this moment in time, with reports that a helicopter has landed on the vessel.
A Military Helicopter – flying without lights and with tracking switched off – has been heard flying in The Bay Area.
What the hell…….. Is it Captain Jack Sparrow??
Yes think it maybe if the Ship is named Black Pearl
Aarrghh…
No, just the usual, vile, savage and cruel, murdering low life of which we apparently seem unable to stop filling our once pleasant land with.
Yet if one of these crims is accidently killed, then the whole world is ‘out of step’ and has to beg, bow and scrape to them for the rest of time..
Wightlink & Red Funnel pirates no doubt.
No listen here you silly sausage, We are in competition, not co-operation. Times have been hard.
Now let the grown ups get on with our honest trade, and you stick your sausage elsewhere or you will find yourself laid up with operational problems x
S.B.S(special boat service !!!) Well this is gunna get interesting if they are getting involved
A new way of entering the uk
Any race which has to keep trying to convince the world it is so great, clearly is unlikely to be.
Rules, laws, censorship will not alter the fact for all to see.
I am constantly amazed that those type of guests in the UK who gang r ape children, stab, shoot, beat, acid attack, mug, drug deal, steal, extort, blow our young limbless, run over citizens deliberately, amongst many other horrors, are ‘still’ allowed here.
Christ just what will it take for the public to see, the Gov have done a wonderful job of brainwashing the naive.
What does that mean??
Plenty of such delightful people arriving here once the huge building expansion of Ryde is filled with mainland councils overspill.
Perhaps then and only then people here will see such in their true light, rather than falling for currently in vouge, misplaced sympathy for these all too often vile, troublesome people.
Not mainland overspill, well maybe some but mainly foreign ref ugees. Haven’t you heard, this is Priti Patel’s latest project to comender the IOW for one way visitors!!!!!
SAS/SBS incoming Boom ! Double tap
Happy days
Let’s collaborate again. Call me.
Sadly toothless Tigers now against anything but ‘whites’, for those that can do no wrong can’t be harmed now, lest our electrical stores and trainer stores are raised to the ground.
Surely you mean razed to the ground? Racist and stupid, you must be a real catch, Hendrick.
Speechless..
My childhood dream was to see and meet pirates but seriously.
It’s an oil tanker! What and why do they need an oil tanker for??
Maybe they need new oil for their fryer?
Worth millions thats why… Used as a bargaining tool to get a ransom.
For hostages
High speed getaway
This could be a worse eco desaster than the Pacific glory
Lol
It’s very Captain Phillips.
Let’s hope it’s comes to a safe end for the crew. I don’t give a shit about the possible pirates or terrorists. SBS, SAS, MI6 do what you do best and eliminate these scum!!
That’ll be the French, not getting their way with Brexit.
If that thing is full of oil it could be disastrous, but if that picture is of the ship as it is now, it seems to be to high in the water to have any oil onboard. Let’s hope it all ends O.K.
Been looking at the ship. Would suggest it is not anchored,seems to be just drifting. Definitely moving but can’t see propeller wake.
Trade-in on Calamity Chain anyone?
Obviously heard about the 4 star hotels going for sea farers.
Send in the SBS and slot the scum
Maybe they want entry to the uk♂️or have more sinister intent I say send in the army or sas
Let us hope they are all killed by special forces. Otherwise we will be keeping them and countless relatives for the rest eternity.
If you look on Marine Radar app this ship has done 2 lots of bizarre manoeuvres off the coast of France if you look at the 5 day tracker??
So the lone copper up cowlease, what’s he going to do??
That tanker is empty. Not bringing oil to Fawley.
think you got that one wrong mate, 42,000 tonnes saying on news
Look at the waterline. Or is this a different ship?
As Tony said, the waterline suggests that it is on the empty side. Perhaps the media report was referring to the vessel’s gross tonnage, reportedly gross tonnage of 42,338 tons.
42,000 tonnes is the weight of the vessel
give it a rest mate.
Stowaways not pirates. Click bate.
Exactly! Why would Nigerian pirates travel here before taking control of a ship and they would take the crew underground for ransom that’s not really going to happen here is it
They are stowaways and it used to be the case that they would have to remain on the ship and disembarked from where they came sometimes costing a fortune and being onboard for along time!
They are wanting to get into Britain not take the ship or crew
If it was the gulf of Aden I would be of a different opinion.
So dramatic and I can’t believe people can be so hooked into to fake news
My comment wasn’t approved maybe this will
You are right stowaways are not pirates.
If they were pirates they would abs. Taken control of the ship in Nigeria and taken the European crew for kidnap and ransom.
This is typical case of Nigerians wanting to abscond and not return to their home country for the punishment they’ll receive
Maybe they’re making another film
Think they’re a bit lost, Blackgang is just around the corner!
Mongs, as in Mongols, as in people with down syndrome. Isn’t disability discrimination a hate crime? Can we have this taken down please?
Well said. That sort of remark is totally unacceptable.
A more vile crime ridden a race it would be hard to imagine. To many their live’s aren’t top of the priority list, somewhere below rats imo.
These silly immigrant. Probably watched pirates of the Caribbean one too many times.
Currently on BBC news site:-
The owners’ lawyers said it had been known for a while there were stowaways were on board.
The Maritime Coastguard Agency said it was assisting police and search and rescue helicopters were at the scene.
The Ministry of Defence has told the BBC that there is no military involvement in the operation.
As of 16.30 there seems to be no helicopters on scene with the one from Lydd having left the scene around 16.15
They’ll be sneaking to the shore tonight it’s OK..
Soon the ‘stowaways’ will be sent to stay in a four star hotel I’m sure.
NOW THATS AN UPGRADE from the normal 6person RIB
There are stowage onboard apparently
Finally a real news story and not some clickbait like someone crashing thier car or someone getting nail varnish on their cat.
Perhaps they want to come ashore to deepen the Wroxall gene pool ?
Arghhhhhh they on their way to the Isle of Wight
Perhaps they are waiting for Gary Lineker to give them a room at his house…
Very true lol
Oil tanker or people sumglers?
What’s a ‘sumgler’, please?
Come on, let’s not sensationalise this. Stowaways, rather than pirates. Cheap journalism.
Likely all trouble, whatever. Let’s hope they get returned if they can’t just shoot them. We are now jailing many of this countries grateful population here now. Don’t want any more. Welcome mat worn out years ago.
Same thing technically
I think you’ll find that trying to seize control of a ship on the high seas is an act of piracy.
Lights have all gone out. Can’t see where it is anymore.
Oof
Operation underway. Loads of boats an helicopter s around the ship.
Looks like it’s all kicking off now, three hells red flashing lights and two lots off blue flashing lights on ship
2 lifeboats playing cat and mouse with the vessel at the moment presumably with military onboard. Let’s hope for a conclusion that doesn’t involve an oil spillage
I don’t think I want a member of our police force being wasted like this. He can’t do anything for heavens sake. We haven’t enough police on the Island to be playing a ‘Dad’s Army’ role!
Don’t tell them Pike!!
“They became violent towards the crew …”
Sounds like decent people, no?
It is ‘what’ these type ‘do’.
Good to see Islandecho ahead of the game. They had first reported this incident long before the BBC did.
Seems to be on the move now with both the Bembridge and Selsey lifeboats following behind it.
(May be related to the helicopter that went over a few minutes ago)
Why are the special forces not using our floating bridge to board the vessel and possibly take the council with them
Helicopter just flew over my place. Not sure in which direction. I think towards Bembridge area
Just seen helicopters fly past us in ventnor towards st Catherine’s its good to see the authorities are doing something. Thats the last thing we need landing on our beaches
Ship them back to where they came from they are not wanted here