THE car carrier Golden Ray that ran aground and capsized in St Simons Sound while it was departing from the Georgia port of Brunswick on September 8 will be cut in place and removed, after maritime experts determined that it is not possible to safely right and refloat the vessel in a fully intact condition. A statement from Unified Command, set up by the US Coast Guard, Georgia Department of Natural Resources and Gallagher Marine Systems, said it "is developing plans to remove all of the M/V Golden Ray's hull, components and cargo by disassembling the vessel in place. "This remains a complex situation but additional information about the removal plan and the expected timeline will be shared with the public as and when available." As of October 12, it said lightering of the forward fuel oil tanks on the ship had been completed and 225,000 gallons of fuel have been removed. Efforts are still underway to remove the remaining fuel and lubricant tanks. It is estimated that the ship was carrying 300,000 gallons of fuel when it overturned, reported New York's FreightWaves. Pollution mitigation and response efforts are ongoing. Water is being monitored at 22 sites under a long-term plan to ensure the safety of the public. Responders to the Golden Ray accident have applied sphagnum moss-based sorbent to marsh grass. The moss binds to the oil, prevents it from spreading and allows for its natural degradation. Twenty-four crew members were rescued from the ship after it ran aground. Twenty were pulled off the ship within 10 hours, but a further four crewmen were trapped and finally removed after a day and a half when rescuers were able to cut a hole in the bottom of the ship to free them. The Golden Ray is operated by the South Korean shipping and logistics company Hyundai Glovis.