Early on the morning of 8th June 2007, Newcastle Port Corporation radioed the 56 moored ships waiting off the coast to load coal to warn them to move out to sea to escape the approaching storm.[3] The Pasha Bulker along with 10 other ships did not heed the warning. As the storm hit the Pasha Bulker could not clear the coast and it became beached at 9:15am on Nobbys Beach at Newcastle just near the entrance to the river harbour.
Efforts to salvage the ship were hampered by several serious one in 30 year storms which pounded the Newcastle coastline bringing winds up to 100kph and huge swells up to 17.95 metres and huge waves.
It should be pointed out that the company immediately issued a statement clearing the captain and crew of blame,saying that the stranding has been an unfortunate storm driven accident,however some leading maritime experts are of the opinion that human error may have been largely responsible..