First tug reaches still-burning Morning Midas
Written by Nick Blenkey
A Coast Guard C-130J Super Hercules aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak conducts an overflight of a fire aboard the cargo vessel Morning Midas approximately 260 miles southwest of Adak, June 8, 2025. [U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Air Station Kodiak]
The first of three tugs dispatched by salvor Resolve Marine to respond to the still-burning car carrier Morning Midas arrived on scene with salvage personnel Monday afternoon and has begun a full assessment of the conditions on scene.
That tug, Dunlap Towing Company’s Gretchen Dunlap, is set to be joined by two additional.tugs that are underway with firefighting and long-distance towing capabilities. The first is planned to arrive in approximately six days and the second in around 12 days.
The operator of the Morning Midas, London-headquartered Zodiac Maritime, says that the salvage team reported that there are no signs of pollution to the water and that the vessel’s watertight integrity remains intact. The fire onboard the vessel continues to burn.
The Morning Midas is located approximately 220 miles south of Adak, Alaska. The Coast Guard received the initial report of the fire Tuesday, June 3, at approximately 3:15 p.m. and has been working closely with Zodiac Maritime, to respond to the incident and is providing its expertise to ensure the plans are as safe and effective as possible.
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The incident occured during the vessel’s passage to Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. According to media reports the voyage originated from Yantai, China, on May 26. The Morning Midas was carrying 3,048 tvehicles, with 70 being fully electric vehicles and 681 being hybrid electric vehicles. As we reported earlier, smoke was initially seen emanating from a deck carrying electric vehicles.
A Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak HC-130J Super Hercules aircrew conducted an overflight of the Morning Midas on Sunday and observed no signs of pollution.
The Coast Guard is closely monitoring weather conditions to inform response efforts. As of 12:20 p.m. Monday, the on-scene weather included 45-50 knot winds and 6-foot seas.
The service is tracking the vessel’s position and condition through regular overflights, information from on-scene responders, and drift analysis conducted in conjunction with information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office of Response and Restoration. As of 7 a.m. Monday, the Morning Midas was reported to be drifting northeast at approximately 1.8 miles per hour.
“The safety of the public, responders, and vessel crews operating in the area remains our top priority,” said Rear Adm. Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District. “We are working closely with Zodiac Maritime to ensure a safe and effective plan to address the fire and mitigate any potential impacts to the environment.”
Zodiac Maritime says that, while there are no signs of pollution, an environmental pollution control plan has also been developed by Resolve Marine in consultation with the Coast Guard, and spill response assets are on standby.
“The safety of everyone involved and the protection of the environment remain our top priorities,” says Zodiac. “We would like to thank the U.S. Coast Guard for their close cooperation and support as we, and Resolve Marine, continue to work closely with them.”
