On 26 March, 1997, Marine Vessel (MV) Cita pierced it's hull when running aground on rocks off the south coast of the Isles of Scilly. The incident happened just after 3 am when the Antiguan-registered 3,000 tonne vessel hit Newfoundland Point, St Mary's.
Immediate Response
The crew of the stricken vessel were soon rescued by a H-3 Sea King rescue helicopter from RNAS Culdrose with the support of St Mary's Lifeboat, RNLB Robert Edgar.
Many containers were washed up on the rocks and beaches of the Isles of Scilly, and many were found in the Celtic Sea, travelling as far as Cornwall.
The wreck
Locals were thankful that the wreck was mostly cargo, so the risk of pollution was much less than it could have been, such as the aftermath of the Torrey Canyon disaster.
The wreck stayed above the surface for several days before sinking off the ledge into the deeper water further from the coast.
Salvage and looting
Computer mice, car tyres, tobacco, house doors, ply wood, plastic bags, women's summer shorts were amoung the contents of containers wrecked around St Mary's. Most locals assisted in the clear-up operation, removing the items from the coastline. Quinsworth bags, bound for Ireland, were used in shops for months following the wreck of the vessel. A couple of months later, St Mary's Quay had several containers moored alongside by local fisherman, waiting for them to be sold back to the shipping companies or for scrap.
Report
According to David Martin-Clark, the reason behind the wrecking of the cargo vessel was due to "the watch-keeping officer had fallen asleep and the watch alarm had been switched off."