In August 1976 was the Danish cargo vessel " Benny Skou " ( 9750 dwt. ) - of Ove Skou`s Shipping Company - http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=343856 on a voyage in the Atlantic Ocean, when suddenly her crew - 200 miles east of Guadeloupe - observed a very thick column of smoke on the horizon. " Benny Skou " changed her course in order to investigate the reason for this heavy smoke at open sea.

The smoke turned out to come from the Greek cargo ship " Stavronikita ". On 26th August 1976 - on a trip from Foynes, on the west coast of Ireland, to Bridgetown, Barbados - she had been caught by a severe explosion in the chief engineer`s room resulting in fire of the whole accomodation area. Some of her crew had been killed, others severely injured. The ship was now blazing and disabled, drifting helplessly around, on the open sea. An SOS had been painted on her side.

" Benny Skou " began the rescue operation. The surveyvors and the bodies were taken on board, whereupon she began towing the disabled ship towards Barbados. Later a local tug took over and towed " Stavronikita " into Bridgetown harbour.

The completely burnt - out " Stavronikita " was declared a constructive total loss and the following 2 years she stayed in the harbour of Bridgetown http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=71817 Finally, on 22nd November 1978, she was towed to sea and sunk off the coast of Barbados for use as an artificial reef.

To day, " Stavronikita " is lying on the sea bed, where she serves as a paradise for divers in the Caribbean. http://www.caribzones.com/stavdive.html " Benny Skou ", however, - in the meantime traded several times - she sank on 13th April 1995, in the Yellow Sea under her new name " Ang Lo ".