Six crew members were rescued from a life raft early Sunday after their vessel ran aground and began taking on water off Clonbrook, East Coast Demerara.

The Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) said the Lady Sandra was carrying cement from Georgetown to New Amsterdam, Berbice, when its main engine failed on Saturday, November 7.

The captain dropped anchor at about 7:45 p.m. and contacted the vessel’s manager, who arranged for a tug to assist. The vessel dragged its anchor and ran aground at about 1 a.m. Sunday.

At about 5:34 a.m., the crew abandoned the vessel and boarded a life raft after the Lady Sandra began taking on water. The Coast Guard rescued all six crew members and took them to the Boathouse, where they were examined by a medical team and later released.

MARAD said on Wednesday that the vessel was still grounded on the foreshore. It has ordered the owners to secure the vessel and have it towed away as soon as possible. The department is still investigating the incident.