Olympic Bravery
On 24 January 1976, the Liberian oil tanker, the Olympic Bravery,
sailing without any cargo from Brest (Brittany) to Foresund (Norway),
where it was to be laid up due to a lack of chartering, faced a series
of engine failures. The ship drifted towards Ushant island and dropped
anchor. However, the anchor broke free and the tanker ran aground.
Tugs were unable to refloat it. On 12 March, the ship owner signed
an agreement to allow the tanks to be pumped out and the ship to be
refloated, however the ship was damaged further the following day
due to bad weather and more water entered the bunkers.
On March 13th, a gale broke the Olympic Bravery and 1,200 tonnes of
fuel was spilled. Dispersants were spread over the polluted area,
which spread over 4 km of the coast of Ushant. The army cleaned the
polluted shore using shovels and buckets. Starting from 2nd May, the
remaining bunker fuel (400 tonnes) was reheated and successfully pumped
out, avoiding further pollution. The wreck was sold for scrap for
a token sum, however it was so damaged that in the end it was left
to the elements.
The four crew members of a Naval Air Force helicopter lost their lives
during a pollution observation operation related to this spill.
Name: Olympic Bravery
Date: 24 January 1976
Location: France
Accident area: Ushant island, Finistère
Type of pollutant: bunker fuel oil
Quantity transported: 280,000 tonnes
Quantity spilled: 1,200 tonnes
Ship type: oil tanker
Date built: 1975
Flag: Liberian
Cause of spill: damage to ship
Last update: April 2006