Large cargo ship freed after becoming stuck on the banks of the River Nene

There were dramatic scenes on the River Nene, close to Wisbech on Tuesday (June 25) as a large cargo ship ran aground on the banks of the river.

The Baltic Arrow, which was carrying timber from Riga- the capital of Latvia- to the Post of Wisbech became stuck at around 8:49am.

The 80m-long ship was sailing under the flag of St Kitts and Nevis but ran into trouble because of low water levels.

The initial plan was to wait for the water levels to rise once again.

A port spokesperson said: “This is a rare situation to happen at Wisbech.

"Since tide has fallen away, plan is to wait until vessel is afloat at next high water to free her from banks with additional tug assistance and continue her pilotage safely into Wisbech Port.”

The boat, was, however, freed late on Tuesday evening with the help of the Fenlander and another tug boat’ enabling the ship to break free and continue its journey to the dock.

Eight crew members were on board in total but no injuries were reported.

An investigation will now be launched into the incident.