After Fire, American Car Carrier Under Tow in Gulf of Mexico

The Coast Guard and good Samaritans responded to the report of a vessel on fire approximately 150 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana, Monday. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Aviation Training Center Mobile.

The American car carrier Alliance St Louis is now under tow in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine room fire left the vessel adrift for more than two days off the coast of Louisiana.

The U.S. Coast Guard reports that the tug Crosby Endeavor arrived on scene to the car carrier at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday carrying a fire team to clear the vessel’s engine room for safety. The tug put the Alliance St Louis in tow at approximately 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, to tow the vessel to Sabine Bank Pilot Station near Port Author, Texas.

The Coast Guard along with good samaritan vessels responded to the report early Monday morning of a vessel on fire approximately 135 miles southwest of Southwest Pass, Louisiana. By Monday afternoon the fire on board had been fully extinguished, but the vessel was left on emergency power and drifting.

The Coast Guard Cutter Brant crew arrived on scene at approximately 6:00 a.m. Tuesday to relieve the good samaritan tug, Mariya Moran, which stayed on scene as the Coast Guard maintained communication with car carrier.

The Alliane St Louis has 20 crewmembers aboard. No injuries or pollution has been reported.

The 6,500 ceu M/V Alliance St. Louis, built in 2005, is owned by a joint venture involving Hoegh Autoliners, Alliance Navigation, and Maersk Line, Limited, and trades internationally.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

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