MV Finnbirch
MV "Finnbirch" was a Swedish roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) ship built in 1978 as "Stena Prosper". History. "Finnbirch" was built at Hyundai Heavy Industries in South Korea and delivered to her owners Stena RoRo on 2 February 1978. In 1988 the ship was sold to Finnish Rettig, and in 1995 to Bore Line. In 1999, in Stockholm acquired the ship and kept it until it foundered. Lindholm Shipping, Strömma Turism & Sjöfart AB was the last owner of "Finnbirch" and her sister ship "Finnforest". Both vessels were in timecharter for the Finnish company Finnlines Plc at the  time of the sinking. Sinking. On 1 November 2006, the ship sank on the east coast of Sweden. At the time of the sinking, "Finnbirch" had a crew of 14, of four Swedes and ten Filipinos. The ship capsized in a heavy storm which also set an oil rig adrift. The crew were seen sitting on the ship's hull, but the storm prevented rescue boats from reaching the scene and it was too dangerous to lower the helicopter crew onto the violently pitching hull. All but two of the men were eventually rescued after jumping into the sea once  the ship had capsized. One of the Filipino crew members died in the hospital after his rescue suit failed and a Swede drowned after being entangled in the wreck. The master of the ship broke several bones after falling, but survived. On 7 November 2006, the Merchant Marine Officers' Association criticized the rescue, stating that the helicopter had been circling overhead whilst the crew members sat on the hull waiting to be rescued. Sister Ships. The "Finnbirch" has 10 sister ships, these are;