CAPTAIN ALEX

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Report: Engine room flooding caused sinking

Uncontrolled flooding through a hole in the plating beneath the engine room of the 'Captain Alex' led to its sinking in the Gulf of Mexico on Nov 25, 2022, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said on Jan 11, 2024. The vessel was fishing off Galveston, Texas, when it suffered water ingress. The four crewmembers on board were unable to stem the flooding and evacuated to a responding U.S. Coast Guard vessel. The sinking resulted in an oil sheen and debris field; a reported 17,000 gallons of diesel fuel were on board. There were no injuries. The 'Captain Alex' was a total loss valued at $500,000. The Coast Guard responded to the 'Captain Alex'’s call for assistance as the vessel was taking on water and floated a dewatering pump to the ship, however, the pump was not able to pull water and later broke. With the vessel continuing to take on water, the crew abandoned ship. A postcasualty exam of the vessel did not occur as the wreckage was not salvaged. The investigation was unable to obtain information about hull maintenance, and the last vessel survey noted that no recent hull gauging report or maintenance records were available. It is possible the hole was caused by the deterioration of the hull steel plating. Report with photo: https://www.marinelink.com/news/flooded-engine-room-caused-fishing-vessel-510724