Capability profile
Salvage & Emergency Response
Casualty assistance, refloating, recovery of objects and wreck removal, coordinated with owners, authorities and insurers.
- Operating companies
- 2
- Industries
- 3
- Work type
- Planned & urgent
- Coverage
- European operations
Emergency response · 24/7
Urgent salvage and emergency response scopes are handled by the group emergency desk. Call directly — mobilisation depends on incident, location and available resources.
01Service Definition
What This Discipline Covers
Salvage and emergency response covers incidents: a vessel aground or partly sunk, a lost object blocking a lock or berth, cargo in the water, or damage that needs assessment before any commercial decision can be taken. The first task is always an accurate picture of the situation below water.
- Operating Marker
- 24/7 emergency desk
- Operating Marker
- Wreck & obstruction removal

02Client Situations
Typical Situations We Are Called For
These are the operational realities that usually trigger this scope.
Incomplete information in the first hours
Multiple parties: owner, insurer, authority, terminal, tugs
Environmental and navigational risk while the situation is unresolved
Evidence must be preserved for later claims
03Scope Of Work
Capabilities And Representative Scopes
Capabilities
- Underwater casualty assessment and survey
- Refloating and lifting support
- Recovery of sunken objects and cargo
- Obstruction clearance in locks, berths and fairways
- Wreck removal planning with authorities
Representative Scopes
- Emergency assessment after grounding or contact
- Recovery of dropped objects from a berth
- Support to a tug and lifting operation
Reporting Deliverables
- Casualty assessment report
- Photographic and video evidence
- Operational log and completion documentation
04Operational Preparation
How A Scope Is Prepared And Executed
01
Notification
24/7 desk records position, situation and parties involved.
02
Assessment
Team mobilised to establish the actual underwater condition.
03
Plan
Method and resources proposed to owner, insurer and authority.
04
Execution
Operation carried out with the required third parties.
05
Documentation
Full record delivered for claims and closure.
Written Method Statement
Video Documentation
Supervised Diving
Operational Windows
05Equipment And Safety
Technology And Safety Considerations
Equipment And Technology
- Lifting and rigging equipment
- Airlift and dredging tooling
- Cranes, tugs and lifting craft contracted per operation
Safety Considerations
- No diver enters the water before the situation has been assessed
- Operations coordinated with the competent authority
- Environmental precautions agreed before intervention
Industries Served
- Insurance, Legal & Salvage
- Maritime Shipping
- Inland Shipping
Equipment and technology entries describe capability, not exclusive ownership. Depth limits, tolerances, response times and classification approvals are confirmed per project and are not published as general guarantees.
06Regional delivery
Operating companies offering this capability
07Projects
Related scopes
Salvage
Vessel Assistance And Recovery Of Submerged Objects
Damage assessment, refloating support and recovery of submerged objects, coordinated with tugs, authorities and the appointed surveyor.
Salvage
Obstruction Clearance In A Lock Chamber
Location and removal of an obstruction preventing normal lock operation, executed with the waterway authority.
08FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- Who should call in an incident?
- The owner, manager, insurer, terminal or authority — whoever has the operational lead. Details are confirmed on the call.
- Do you guarantee availability?
- The desk is staffed for emergency notifications year-round. Actual mobilisation depends on the incident, location and resources required.
- What information helps most on the first call?
- Location, vessel or asset type, what happened and when, draught and depth, whether anything is leaking, and who is coordinating on site.
- How is evidence preserved for a later claim?
- Observations are recorded on video and photograph with time reference, and the report separates factual findings from interpretation.
- Do you work alongside the appointed salvor or surveyor?
- Yes. Scopes are frequently carried out under the direction of a salvage master, average adjuster or appointed surveyor.
- Can lost objects and cargo be recovered?
- Search and recovery of objects, cargo and equipment is a standard scope, subject to depth, weight and authority permissions.
Contact
Discuss a salvage and emergency response scope
Send us the structure, vessel or incident and we will confirm the right operating company, method and working window.
Emergency response · 24/7 desk
Vessel incidents, obstructions, damage and urgent underwater repair. Mobilisation depends on incident, location and resources — we do not publish a guaranteed response time.
+32 472 67 44 21Emergency procedure