Cowboys Ocean Bashny.Net

Remember how to recruit a team of drillers old Willis in "Armageddon"? It turns out, are very similar team of daredevils, desperate guys exist in reality, however, they did not blow up asteroids to save earthlings, and rescue ships and cargo, save money, big money, and about them, too, can make a film, they are worth. Here is a company Titan Salvage.

Insurers distress ships with valuable cargo are ready to offer 10 to 70 percent of the value of the ship and its cargo to anyone who can save him, if rescuers will fail, they do not get a penny. However, wishing to have a job. In the field of rescue vessels has always dominated the Dutch. At the same time, their approach - involving a large number of heavy tugs and floating cranes are not suited to all customers, not for every situation. The company also Titan Salvage instead of "ax" offers customers a "scalpel". A team of 45 professionals (deep-sea diving, computer modeling, underwater welding, engine repair, etc.) from different countries, led by Captain-Commander perpetual license for the right to control all kinds of water transport is taken for the unique rescue operations, relying to a greater extent on their experience, ingenuity, these computer simulations, to custom engineering solutions than the power and size of equipment. Himself they call the "pirates-in-law", "cowboys of the ocean." Yes, guys make millions, but on the wall at the headquarters of Titan hang photographs of those who died on the job - only three in the last three years.

For example, tell you more about one of the unique operation to rescue car carriers





For example, tell you more about one of the most unique rescue operation of Ro-Ro car carriers Cougar Ace laden MAZDA (4703 cars, the estimated value of the goods: $ 103 million) in distress south of the Aleutian Islands in 2006. In the world practice rescue sea ​​analogues of this operation there.

The cause of the accident was an error during ballasting. Ocean waves was enough to lose ostochivost ship lay on the left side with a roll of 60 degrees. All 23 crew members Cougar Ace was removed from the emergency ship US Coast Guard. The ship slowly taking on water, and there were fears that it will sink or run aground. In this case, vehicles and vessels will be lost, and the fuel in the tanks of the ship inflict irreparable damage to nature and fisheries, if you happen to hole.

The first thing that the beginning of the team - the development of a computer model of the ship, according to the initial data of the ship, obtained from the owner, still in the plane on the way to the place. To make the model was ready to estimates, the need for accurate data on the condition of the vessel - the volume and location of the water in the bilge, fuel, cargo status, etc. Without lowering the ship can not do. Rescuers had to descend on ropes from a helicopter to the ship, get inside on the ninth deck and move on tilted 60 degrees deck through hundreds enshrined Mazda flooding the site. At this time, the whole mass of cars hanging over you, only hold belts, tear one - and cars are collapsed domino rasplyuschat rescuers. It is necessary to survey the ship to get back on its deck, move on to the surface of the tank, and from there, using ropes to descend along the stern to the rescue ship on the sloping 35-meter deck. The descent to the ninth deck, and data collection was successful, but the return and descent to the tank was a tragedy - one of the rescuers, Marty Johnson, an engineer and the author of a computer model (at that time he was already 6:00 was on the ship) fell on the sloping deck and It fell from 25-meter height, from his injuries died. Attempts to rescue a doctor and save him were futile. It was a serious blow for the team, it was thought to drop everything and come back, but they decided to stay, and the commander immediately called another engineer.

Based on the collected data, the new engineer has made calculations - you must pump out 1026 tons of water flooded the deck of the board, then fill the tanks to starboard 160, 9 tons of water to balance the ship and align it. But there was a risk of an even keel boat passing by inertia and pass on another board with acceleration and subsequent rollover (for example, can not withstand the belts fastening car that will provide additional dynamic load on the right side). At the same time, the situation has continued to deteriorate - the water is about to begin flow through the vents (exit car exhaust) of the deck of the vessel, usually located high above the water surface and closed valves. Roll the ship continues to increase and the weather worsens. Made a decision to tow the ship into the bay wide, the island of Unalaska, to hide behind the Aleutian chain from the ocean swell.

During towing vessel command again, like speleologists in a cave down in the holds of the vessel, to be sure, it was filled with the largest ballast tank, which is to keep the ship from capsizing by inertia when passing an even keel. The tank was filled in what rescuers saw, drilling a hole in it. In the next step, rescuers brought on board two 100-pound diesel pump. It should be noted that people were crawling with all the equipment on the sloping deck of the ship with semietazhku height, in the dark, risking getting lost or torn. Fortunately, the installation of the pumps is successful. You can start to pump out water and align the ship. By the end of the second day of continuous operation of the ship leveled off. Rescuers were all the time on the board, inside, hanging on a clothesline. In the dark. Rollover ship chance to escape they would be almost no.

The ship eventually passed the owner received for the operation of 10 million US dollars reward. On board 99% of car were not injured. But a year later they all started up in the shredder, as the manufacturer did not want to risk - cars were almost two weeks at an angle of 60 degrees. Do not want to lawsuits from customers. But this is no longer a problem Titan, they have done their work, during which lost comrade. And they are already on the new operation.

Incidentally, Titan Salvage involved in raising the Costa Concordia.
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