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Bodies found of seven missing from US warship and NYK containership collisionBodies found of seven missing from US warship and NYK containership collision

The bodies of seven US sailors from the warship USS Fitzgerald following a collision with the NYK-chartered containers ACX Crystal off Japan early on Saturday morning.

Marcus Hand, Editor

June 18, 2017

2 Min Read
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The guided missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with the Philippines-flag 2,900 teu, 2008-built ACX Crystal at 2-30am on 17 June, 56 nm southwest of Yokosuka in Japan, leaving seven sailors from the warship missing.

“As search and rescue crews gained access to the spaces that were damaged during the collision this morning, the missing Sailors were located in the flooded berthing compartments,” Commander US 7th Fleet said in a statement on Sunday.

Speaking at press briefing US Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin said: “The ship suffered severe damage rapidly flooding 3 large compartments that included 1 machinery room and 2 berthing areas for 116 crew. The Commanding Officer's (CO) cabin was also directly hit, trapping the CO inside.

“Heroic efforts prevented the flooding from catastrophically spreading which could have caused the ship to founder or sink. It could have been much worse.”

The Philippines-flagged containership suffered relatively minor damage in the collision and docked in Tokyo Port on Sunday morning and following port operations is expected to sail for Yokohama arriving at 8am on 19 June.

“Our deep thoughts and concerns go out to the families and friends of those who have so tragically lost their lives on the USS Fitzgerald and our hopes for a speedy recovery for those injured and in hospital following the collision,” NYK said.

The cause of the collision remains unknown, however, data from Marine Traffic shows the containership making a sharp u-turn not long before the collision. The course plot of the warship is not available. The tragic incident is to be investigated by both the US and Japan.

““The US Coast Guard is to take the lead on the marine casualty investigation,” Adm. Aucion said.

“We recognise that there are other organisations who have equities in this incident, and we expect they will conduct their own separate investigations. More information on any further investigations will be forthcoming,” he added.

NYK said: “NYK and the shipowner are fully cooperating with an investigation being conducted by the Japan Coast Guard. More information will be provided when known.”

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About the Author

Marcus Hand

Editor

Marcus Hand is the editor of Seatrade Maritime News and a dedicated maritime journalist with over two decades of experience covering the shipping industry in Asia.

Marcus is also an experienced industry commentator and has chaired many conferences and round tables. Before joining Seatrade at the beginning of 2010, Marcus worked for the shipping industry journal Lloyd's List for a decade and before that the Singapore Business Times covering shipping and aviation.

In November 2022, Marcus was announced as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Singapore Journal of Maritime Talent and Technology (SJMTT) to help bring together thought leadership around the key areas of talent and technology.

Marcus is the founder of the Seatrade Maritime Podcast that delivers commentary, opinions and conversations on shipping's most important topics.

Conferences & Webinars

Marcus Hand regularly moderates at international maritime events. Below you’ll find a list of selected past conferences and webinars.

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