(KODIAK, Alaska) — The U.S. Coast Guard has concluded its response to a fire on the car carrier Morning Midas, which capsized and sank Monday in international waters approximately 450 miles southwest of Adak, Alaska.
The Coast Guard received notification that the vessel capsized at 5:35 p.m. and sank to a depth of approximately 16,400 feet in international waters. Fire was reported aboard Morning Midas on June 3 when the ship was about 300 miles southwest of Adak. All 22 crewmembers evacuated the vessel on a lifeboat and were subsequently rescued by the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas.
Morning Midas was carrying 3,048 vehicles, with 70 being fully electric and 681 being hybrid vehicles. The vessel also reportedly had 350 metric tons of marine gas oil (MGO) and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) onboard.
There are no reports of visible signs of pollution at this time. The Coast Guard is monitoring the situation and remains in close contact with Zodiac Maritime, the manager of Morning Midas. Two salvage vessels, Garth Foss and Salvage Worker, remain on scene and are conducting continuous assessments of the area with pollution response equipment.
The oil spill response vessel Endeavour is en route from Dutch Harbor and is expected to arrive on scene Thursday. Endeavour is equipped with additional pollution response equipment including an oil spill containment and recovery system.
“The safety of the responders remains our top priority,” said Capt. Christopher Culpepper, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Western Alaska and U.S. Arctic. “We’re working closely with Zodiac Maritime in an advisory capacity to ensure a swift and effective response to any potential signs of pollution.”
There were no reported injuries during the response.
– U.S. Coast Guard
