Tug Garth Foss now assisting stricken car carrier Morning Midas

Written by Nick Blenkey
Garth Foss reports fire out

Specialists on tug Garth Foss report there are no longer signs of active fire onboard Morning Midas [Photo: USCG]

The second of three specialized vessels dispatched by salvors, Resolve Marine, arrived at the location of the car carrier Morning Midas (IMO 9289910), on June 15, local time zone (UTC -9), reports Zodiac Maritime. That vessel, the Garth Foss, which has specialist firefighting capabilities, has now taken over from the tug Gretchen Dunlap which had been on scene since June 9. A third tug with long distance towing capabilities is also en-route and will arrive within approximately a week.

“The salvage and firefighting specialists onboard the Garth Foss have assessed the Morning Midas and report that both thermal scans and visual inspections show no signs of active fire onboard,” says Zodiac Maritime. “They also report that there are no signs of pollution to the water and that the vessel’s watertight integrity remains intact.”

The Morning Midas is located approximately 220 miles south of Adak, Alaska. The Coast Guard received the initial report of the fire aboard the ship Tuesday, June 3, at approximately 3:15 p.m. The Morning Midas is carrying 3,048 vehicles, 70 being fully electric and 681 being hybrid electric. Smoke was initially seen emanating from a deck carrying electric vehicles.

The salvage specialists aboard the Gretchen Dunlap were able to connect a tow cable to the Morning Midas on 11 June to stabilize her and control her movement. The tow line has now been transferred to the Garth Foss to continue controlling the car carrier’s movements until the long-distance towing vessel arrives.

Resolve Marine is implementing its comprehensive salvage and safety plans which have been reviewed by the United States Coast Guard (USCG). Pollution control plans have also been developed, with pollution control assets on standby.

“All operations will be undertaken with the safety of all involved and the protection of the environment being our highest priorities,” says Zodiac Maritime, noting that it and Resolve Marine both continue to be grateful for the ongoing close cooperation and support from the United States Coast Guard.

Categories: News, Salvage Tags: , , , , ,