Dramatic images show the blaze-Zodiac vehicle carrier as salvage tug arrives

Photo credit: US Coast Guard / Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexandria O’Brien

A salvage tug has reached the Zodiac Maritime-managed vehicle carrier Morning Midas on Monday afternoon after a fire broke out about 340 miles southwest of Adak in Alaska on June 3.

All 22 crew members evacuated the Liberian-flagged vessel, 2006-built, and were subsequently rescued by the crew of the motor vessel Cosco Hellas, one of the vessels on the scene.

The vessel departed from Yantai, China on May 26 with destination Lázaro Cárdenas in Mexico where it was expected to arrive on June 15.

The tug vessel, Gretchen Dunlap, arrived on scene with salvage personnel Monday afternoon and has begun a full assessment of the conditions on scene.

Two additional vessels are scheduled to arrive on scene at different dates within the next two weeks.

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 has been working closely with Zodiac Maritime, the vessel’s manager, to respond to the incident and in cooperation with the salvors, Resolve Marine, are developing comprehensive salvage and safety plans.

The vessel’s position and condition are being tracked through regular overflights and information from on-scene responders, whilst drift analysis is conducted in conjunction with information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s 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.

Dramatic images show the blaze-Zodiac vehicle carrier as salvage tug arrives

Photo credit: US Coast Guard / Petty Officer 2nd Class Alexandria O’Brien.

“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.”

Details about the cause of the fire have not yet been released, with the Coast Guard reporting that updates will be provided about the incident as the situation develops.

Video credit: US Coast Guard for the Alaska maritime region (Video on June 6).