The Cruel Sea - Submitted by Mickey Kappes

Post date: Feb 08, 2014 10:3:33 PM

ANGLET, France (AP) - A military helicopter evacuated the crew of a Spanish cargo ship that slammed into a jetty and split in two in choppy Atlantic Ocean waters off southwestern France on Wednesday.

The hold of the 100-meter-long ship, the Luno, was empty when the accident occurred along the coast of the town of Anglet, and a small amount of fuel was spilling into the water, officials said. The ship, which typically carries fertilizer, had been heading to a nearby port to load up with cargo when its engine broke down and the rough waves carried it into the jetty.