The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy (WAGB 20) returned to Seattle early from a seasonal Arctic mission after sustaining damage from a fire in late July.
According to the service, the 25-year-old icebreaker experienced an electrical fire on one of two main propulsion motors on July 25, 2024. The ship was underway near Banks Island, Northwest Territories, Canada, at the time.
“The crew swiftly extinguished the fire with no personnel casualties,” the Coast Guard said in a statement. “Healy’s crew and contractors restored power to the affected motor. However, out of abundance of caution, the cutter returned to Seattle to ensure all redundant systems are fully operational before returning to the Arctic.”
The ship returned to Seattle in mid-August, at least 10 weeks earlier than similar voyages in recent years, which have historically ended in mid-fall. Healy, along with the 50-year-old Polar Star, represent the two active icebreakers in the Coast Guard fleet.
The ship conducted extensive scientific research in the Pacific sector of the Arctic Ocean during its voyage, which was partially funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
“Healy’s crew and embarked researchers conducted more than 150 conductivity, temperature and depth (CTD) casts to investigate the circulation and properties of the water, monitored for signs of harmful algal blooms, and collected observations on marine mammals and birds in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas,” the service said in a statement.
Researchers on the ship also deployed two subsurface moorings equipped with sensors that can collect a wide range of data on the physical, chemical and biological state of the Arctic Ocean. The work builds on efforts conducted during previous voyages in the Pacific Arctic.