Three crewmen still missing after Dutch ship capsizes in Albany

Three crewmen still missing after Dutch ship capsizes in Albany

   Three crewmen remained unaccounted for Wednesday after the 'Stellamare,' a 289-foot heavy-lift cargo ship owned by Jumbo Shipping of the Netherlands, turned on its side in the port of Albany Tuesday, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesman told Shippers’ News Wire.

   As the vessel tipped without warning at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, six of its crew of 18 were thrown into the frigid Hudson River. All were rescued and treated for hypothermia. The missing crewmen are believed to be trapped inside the ship’s hull. The water around the ship is about 30 feet deep.

   Although the 'Stellamare' developed a 75-degree list, lines to the pier kept it from sinking. The Coast Guard has closed the Hudson River from one mile north to one mile south of the ship.

   The 'Stellamare' had just completed loading more than 600 metric tons of steel equipment, including turbines, from the General Electric plant in Schenectady before the extreme list occurred.

   Jumbo Shipping has asked Environmental System Assessments to lead clean-up efforts to remove 13,000 gallons of oily water leaking from the 'Stellamare.' Skimmers and 12,000 feet of boom were in place by mid-day Wednesday, the Coast Guard reported.