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Felicity Ace: Portuguese ship carrying Porsche & Volkswagen cars catches fire in Atlantic Ocean

Portuguese merchant ship Felicity Ace caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, forcing the crew members to abandon the vessel

Portuguese merchant ship 'Felicity Ace' caught fire in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday, forcing the crew members to abandon the vessel and leave it burning and adrift. Around 22 crew members were safely rescued from the ship which is presently about 170 km southwest of the island of Faial, Azores.

The Portuguese Navy's NRP Setúbal ocean patrol vessel remains on-site to monitor the situation, with no traces of pollution in the area being visible so far. "Shipping in the area was warned that the 200-meter-long (650-feet-long) Felicity Ace was adrift near Portugal's Azores Islands after the crew were taken off on Wednesday," said Portuguese navy spokesman Cmdr José Sousa Luís. The ship is capable of carrying 4,000 cars and was loaded with Porsche and Volkswagen vehicles.

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"The navy ship was to check whether the cargo vessel was in danger of sinking or causing pollution. The ship’s owner is seeking an ocean-going tug, but the Felicity Ace is unlikely to be towed to a port in Portugal’s Azores Islands because of its size," Luís told The Associated Press. The crew were rescued by helicopter on Wednesday to Faial island on the archipelago, about 170 kilometers (100 miles) away, and are staying at a hotel there. None of them was hurt.

"The Portuguese Navy, through the Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC Delgada), is coordinating the rescue of crew members aboard the merchant ship 'Felicity Ace', presumably with 22 people on board. The ship, which was sailing 90 nautical miles (about 170 km) southwest of the island of Faial in the Azores, has an active fire in the cargo hold. The rescue operation involves several means, namely the ocean patrol vessel of the Navy NRP Setúbal and four merchant ships that sail in the area. Portuguese Air Force assets were also activated. The Panama-flagged ship is carrying automobiles and issued the alert this morning," read the statement issued by Marinha on February 16.

The follow-up statement issued on February 17 read, "The merchant ship 'Felicity Ace', whose 22 crew members were safely rescued yesterday, remains stable, about 90 nautical miles (about 170 km) southwest of the island of Faial, in the Azores. The fire is still active on board the ship. ​The Portuguese Navy's NRP Setúbal ocean patrol vessel remains on site to monitor the situation, with no traces of pollution in the area being visible so far."

"Our immediate thoughts are of relief that the 22 crew of the merchant ship 'Felicity Ace' are safe and well. A number of our cars are among the cargo. We are in contact with the shipping company and the details of the cars on board are now known. While it remains too early to confirm what occurred and next steps, we are – along with our colleagues at Porsche AG – supporting our customers and our dealers as best we can to find solutions. Anyone concerned by this incident and the implications on the car they've ordered should contact their Porsche dealer," a spokesperson for Porsche Cars North America told NBC.

Volkswagen Group confirmed in a brief statement that the Felicity Ace was transporting some of its vehicles to the US, but declined to comment on what consequences the incident might have for the customers or the VW Group.