On Friday, December 8, 2017, the captain of a Panamanian cargo ship was en route to the port of Limón. He was guiding an empty ship, and planning to pick up some sort of cargo.

The pumps on the ship failed, after water came through the hull through cracks.

At some point, the captain reported water flooding part of the vessel, and he made the decision to ground it (temporarily) in the sand so it didn’t sink.

The ship lodged itself in the sand along Manzanillo Beach, about 40 nautical miles short of its intended destination in Limón.

The crew consisted of a Panamanian captain and four Colombian crew members, who were not injured.