UPDATE with rescue completed 5:30 p.m.

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – The evacuation of a crew from a Barbados-registered ore carrier near Orchid Island (Lanyu) encountered problems as Typhoon Krathon approached Tuesday (Oct. 1).

As the “Blue Lagoon” was letting in water, the 19-member crew decided at 5 a.m. to abandon ship. A National Airborne Service Corps (NASC) helicopter arrived at the scene between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m. but was forced to abort the rescue mission because of strong winds.

The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) sent the “Kaohsiung” patrol ship to help in an ongoing rescue mission. Nine Egyptians, seven Ukrainians, and three Russians were aboard the freighter, per CNA.

The currents took the “Blue Lagoon” close to the rocks of Longmen, where the NASC helicopter resumed its mission and airlifted all crew members to safety by 2 p.m. Local officials said the ship had been damaged and oil was seen polluting the environment, CNA reported.

The ship had been on its way from the Chinese province of Hebei near Beijing to Singapore when its engine room started letting in water 18 nautical miles (33 kilometers) southwest of Lanyu. The CGA said its load included 67,500 tons of ore, 39 tons of marine gas oil, and 227 tons of very-low sulfur fuel oil.

As the typhoon was expected to make landfall in southwest Taiwan Wednesday (Oct. 2) morning, the Maritime Port Bureau cranked up safety measures around three freighters stranded near Tainan. The plan had been to dismantle the ships damaged by Typhoon Gaemi in July, but with the latest typhoon approaching, measures have been taken to prevent oil leaks from damaging the environment, CNA reported.