Incident with The Car Carrier Cougar Ace (No.2)

July 26, 2006

TOKYO - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL, President: Akimitsu Ashida) announced that all the crew of the MOL-operated car carrier Cougar Ace, disabled at sea south of the Aleutian Islands on Monday, July 24 has been safely evacuated from the ship.

On Tuesday, July 25 (JST) at 2:00 p.m., helicopters from the U.S. Coastal Guard (USCG) and U.S. Air Force (USAF) began lifting the crew to safety. An hour later, all officers and crew had been removed from the ship. The 23 seafarers on board were taken to Adak Island in the Aleutians.

The hull of the Cougar Ace is floating stably although the vessel is listing.

The vessel will be towed to a safe port for recovery in the future, and at the same time, the company will start full-fledged cause-unfolding at the same time.

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines also wishes to extend gratitude to the United States Coast Guard and the Air National Guard for their courageous efforts in transporting the crew of the Cougar Ace safely to Alaska. The men and women involved in successfully executing their mission have?distinguished themselves under very difficult circumstances and deserve our heartfelt gratitude. We are certain that the families of the vessel's crew join us in extending our appreciation for their efforts.