On September 2, 2017, the ELKE W dry cargo ship (the Flag of Antigua and Barbuda) with gross capacity of 2.409 tons moved to the seaport of Szczecin (Poland) by transit from the Saimaa Channel.

At 5:00 a.m. in violation of the requirements on the turn from a course of 239 degrees to take a new course of 253 degrees at Light Fairway Buoy No 1, the vessel, which had been moving within the vessel traffic separation scheme on the approaches towards the Vyborg Bay, continued moving by the previous course to the area of Khalli Cliff, a small skerry in the north-east of the Gulf of Finland.

Duty operator of Vysotsk VTMS Mikhail Krasheninnikov timely reacted on the ELKE W dangerous course deviation and, as the vessel had not responded to his requests, started incessantly calling the vessel by radio as well as using all other possible communications means.

It took 10 minutes of attempts to contact the vessel until a response was received from the crew members on Vysotsk VTMS duty communications channel.

By taking Vysotsk VTMS operators' warning the vessel changed the course and returned to the limits of the specified route. This happened four minutes before the vessel would had reached the sea beach at Khalli Cliff.

Due to time and professional actions taken by Vysotsk VTMS operators we succeeded in preventing the vessel's stranding.