When the MSC Baltic III ran aground on the shores of Cedar Cove on Newfoundland's west coast in February, the first concern was getting the 20 crew members off safely .

The ship is massive, at 207 metres long and 30 metres wide, and the coast guard in the area immediately went into rescue mode. But an operation this size was bigger than anything they've seen in decades.

"It's not something we deal with every single day. We've dealt a lot with, you know, smaller vessels — 65-foot vessels are easier, smaller quantities. When this vessel came in I said, 'Oh my God, this is huge,'" said Bruce English, a senior response officer who's been with the Canadian Coast Guard for the last 30 years.

"This is the biggest incident that I've been involved with."

The cargo ship ran aground after it lo

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