Sea Empress

"The major rescue operation was set to happen on Wednesday, February 21, six days after the first uneventful grounding. Now, they could not afford to fail. Therefore, they brought in all available rescue personnel, the ship's crew, and pollution experts. The large tugboat "Arild Viking" arrived at the site, and by 4:30 PM, the powerful Norwegian tug had twelve other tugboats with it. Two pilots were sent aboard to direct the attempt to get the "Sea Empress" off the ground. At 5:35 PM, the boat began to slowly turn, and after repeated attempts, the main engine onboard started. By 6 PM, the "Sea Empress" came off the ground, and well aided by the tremendous forces of "Arild Viking," the battered supertanker was moved to the middle of the channel. Finally, a controlled towing could be started up the channel, and after three hours the moorings could be fastened at the Texaco refinery on the north side of Milton Haven."

"For John Fredriksen, the "Sea Empress" was a turning point. He could have hidden behind straw companies, but he came forward as a serious and responsible shipowner. And he received praise from an international shipping community. "It was about time someone stood up and showed that the industry takes responsibility in such a situation," was stated at a shipowner conference in London later that year. "Once a crisis is a fact, there are only two people who can stand up and take responsibility towards the outside world: The shipowner himself and the person responsible for the operation of the ship. Their 'image' before and after the accident will determine whether the shipping company will still be in business.""