Visitor tours have been suspended at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor after a U.S. Navy hospital ship struck the Memorial’s dock, causing damage.
A statement from the National Park Service confirmed that the floating dock at the Memorial was damaged Wednesday morning as the hospital ship USNS Mercy was underway. “Initial reports indicated that a tug boat hit the Memorial, but an investigation is underway,” the NPS statement said.
[contextly_sidebar id=”48OAlQWcaK09PUbdpNKgByPfTgr9Hltt”]Divers have determined no damage was done to the USS Arizona itself.
The incident was first reported by Military.com, which obtained a photo taken by a witness of the incident showing the stern of the USNS Mercy within just a few yards from the Memorial building and dock. The report said that tugboats were maneuvering the hospital ship from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam at around 7 a.m. local time when the allision occurred.
A statement by Navy Region Hawaii posted to Facebook later confirmed that the dock was struck while tug boats were assisting the USNS Mercy in Pearl Harbor. “Initial visual assessments show that the dock was moved about 10 feet toward the Memorial. A small area of concrete was damaged where the dock’s ramp joined the Memorial. The dock’s ramps and railings were also damaged,” the statement said.
Until the dock is repaired visitors can still view the Memorial from Battleship Row, but will not be able to disembark at the Memorial itself.
“White boat passenger traffic onto the memorial has to be suspended as we assess the full extent of damage and can ensure the safety of visitors. In the meantime, the white boat tours of Pearl Harbor continue from the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center without the ability to disembark passengers aboard the USS Arizona Memorial,” the NPS said.
The Navy hopes to have the dock repaired by June 4, the NPS said.
The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii marks the resting place of the more than 1,000 killed on the USS Arizona during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
USNS Mercy is one of two U.S. Navy hospital ships operated by Military Sealift Command.
(Bloomberg) — Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s invasion has entered a new phase, pitting homegrown drone technology against a 2,000 kilometer (1,200 mile) swathe of largely Soviet-era oil facilities. At least...
March 19 (Reuters) – Tanker company Euronav will exit Belgium’s blue-chip Bel-20 index after just two days of trading, as it no longer meets the membership conditions after its takeover by Compagnie Maritime...
MOSCOW, March 19 (Reuters) – The new head of Russia’s Navy was formally presented in his new role for the first time on Tuesday at a pomp-filled ceremony, the state RIA news agency reported,...
March 19, 2024
Total Views: 2483
Why Join the gCaptain Club?
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.