23.01.2006

Effer plays its part in Whale rescue attempt

The UK looked on last week, as attempts were made to steer a young male bottle nosed whale back out to sea, after it had swum up the river Thames into central London. This was the first bottle nosed whale seen in central London since 1913.

After a couple of days without success and with the five to six metre long whale clearly fading, experts called in the barge the Port of London barge Crossness which is equipped with an Effer Deco 12000 straight telescopic marine crane.
Please register to see all images

The barge Crossness equipped with an Effer Deco marine crane races out to sea with the whale

Inflatable pontoons were floated alongside the whale and a lifting harness placed under him. Wide web slings were then passed underneath the whale so that he could be lifted onto the barge. He was said to weigh around four tonnes.
Please register to see all images

Using four pontoons a harness and three wide web slings, the whale was lifted with care

Once on board the barge powered out towards the sea, but sadly the whale, distressed by the whole adventure suffered a series of convulsions and died.