An operation to refloat a cargo ship grounded off the southwest coast of England was delayed on today by rough seas and gale force winds.
The 6,000 tonne
Kodima
had run aground in stormy weather at Whitsand Bay in Cornwall last night, 12 hours after its 16 Russian crew members were winched to safety by a Royal Air Force (RAF) helicopter.
Although the storm conditions battering Britain since Friday eased somewhat today, winds of up to 40 mph were still hampering attempts to board the vessel, a spokeswoman for Britain's coastguard said.
Initial fears that the Maltese-registered Kodimacould break up and leak fuel oil were eased after experts said it was resting on sand rather than rock. The ship was loaded with 450 tonnes of fuel oil but there were no signs of leaks.
Elsewhere, two men were feared dead after fierce storms battered Britain for a third consecutive day.
The skipper of a French fishing boat was missing presumed dead after being washed overboard off Scotland and a second man was missing after being swept off the pier at the popular southern tourist resort of Brighton, officials said.
In a separate rescue operation a RAF helicopter from Lossiemouth in Scotland rescued 18 seamen off the French fishing vessel Le Parrainyesterday morning after it lost power 250 miles off the Scottish Western Isles.
The skipper had been washed overboard on Friday evening, the coastguard said. The powerless Le Parrainwas still adrift in heavy seas.
More than 30 flood warnings remained in place in England and Wales today, Britain's Environment Agency said on its Web site.
The weekend storms were the second wave of bad weather to batter Britain and Ireland inside a week. Seven people died on Monday as storm-force winds lashed the north of the country.