What Crew Members Say About Lady-Hester

On December 5, 2014, the cargo vessel 'Lady Hester' experienced a grounding incident while navigating the Ruotsinsalmi Strait en route from Rauma to Halla. At approximately 6:50 a.m., the ship, laden with timber, struck the bottom of the waterway. Immediate action was taken by local authorities, including two vessels from the Kotka Coast Guard Station, personnel from the Kymenlaakso Rescue Department, and a Navy boat unit, among other public agencies. Fortunately, the 'Lady Hester' was able to refloat itself using its own power and was escorted to the safety of Kotka by the harbor tug 'Jupiter' (MMSI: 276776000). By 8:30 a.m., the ship had successfully berthed and was scheduled for an inspection. While the exact cause of the grounding remained undetermined, reports indicated that dense fog blanketed the narrow waterway at the time of the incident. Following the inspection process, the 'Lady Hester' departed port on December 6 and subsequently docked at the Rīgas Kuģu Būvētava shipyard in Riga on December 8 at 8:40 a.m.