But three days after grounding the ship was pulled free by the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources fishing research vessel Tarajoq. Salvage costs of 3.8 million Danish Kroner were agreed upon. The hull was not breached by the grounding in soft arctic silt. The tide on Greenland's west coast at Alpefjord is less than 2 meters.
“We’re really happy that it went so well and that the passengers and crew of the ship can now see an end to the difficult situation they’ve been in for the last few days,” said Captain Brian Jensen, Commander of Denmark’s Joint Arctic Command. “Regardless that no one was in direct danger, I understand if being stuck in such a deserted area with no possibility to move forward has been uncomfortable.”
Initial attempts to refloat the Ocean Explorer at high tide were unsuccessful, prompting the assistance of the Knud Rasmussen, an offshore patrol vessel with the Royal Danish Navy, which was located 1,200 nautical miles away. The Knud Rasmussen was expected to arrive at the scene Friday evening, but has now been stood down.
