EmergenSea's venture at the Pula shipyard showed that Croatia has experts
At the beginning of February, an unprecedented accident occurred at the Pula shipyard. A new ship built by Pula's Tehnomont fell from the travel lift in the port and was about to be shipped to the owner from Ireland. The Harbour Master’s Office Pula immediately informed the National Center for Coordination of Search and Rescue at Sea and the Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure, and intervention services were called. Among them were the combined forces of the EmergenSea network, which participated in the lifting of the 300-ton ship.
“EmergenSea has been a partner of Croatia Osiguranje in the rescue of property at sea for several years. We have been trusted by insurers to do this demanding project. The preparations themselves, the study of the documentation and the budgets to start the project took about seven days, and the field implementation itself, only a few days longer. The important thing about this event is that such jobs are rarely given into the hands of domestic experts but always reach for foreign experts while we watch and cry with anguish. This move by Croatia Osiguranje deserved every praise. EmergenSea has shown that it is possible. It is on this and on the selection of the best we have among our people that Emergensea will work tirelessly in the future”, said Drago Dešpalj, owner of the Zadar company EmergenSea, which in cooperation with EmergenSea teams from Pula, Split and Mljet successfully completed the campaign to raise the ship to the surface by an innovative method without a sea crane.
“About the operation of retrieving the ship to the surface without the use of a large capacity sea crane (the ship weighs about 300 tons) we can say that those who were there know very well that the risk assessment, skills and experience of divers are crucial, also a team that knows each other well and some good ideas. Decisions are made according to a risk assessment plan, and in the course of time strategies change sometimes very quickly. Therefore, the biggest role in everything is played by a good and experienced team, the distribution of work and, above all, good communication within the team”, Dešpalj explained what is needed to bring such a demanding action to a successful end.
“This is something that no one in Croatia has managed to do yet and it is the best message we can send to all those interested and those who want to hear it. No one can tell us that in Croatia we do not have teams and capable individuals who are not able to make bigger ventures. Sometimes the only thing that matters is the chance for miracles to happen. And none of us will better guard and care for this sea that we worship and love”, Dešpalj added at the end.
