PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard is working with local response agencies and the Virginia and Maryland Pilots Tuesday after receiving a report of a collision between two ships in the Thimble Shoal Channel and are responding to several subsequent reports of ships dragging anchor in the lower Chesapeake Bay.

The 79-foot rig vessel, Petite, and the 1065-foot container ship, MSC Charleston, reportedly collided due to weather in the main ship channel at approximately 7:30 p.m. There was no initial report of damage, pollution or injuries to either vessel, and both are safely anchored pending a Coast Guard investigation.

Winds gusting to 70 mph at Cape Henry caused 12 ships anchored in the vicinity of Lynnhaven to drag anchor and caused the 751-foot bulk carrier, Ornak, that was anchored in the Lynnhaven Anchorage east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to run aground at approximately 8:35 p.m. near First Landing State Park.

To help stabilize the ships, the Virginia Pilot office dispatched 11 pilots to embark the anchored vessels at anchorage.

Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads Command Center watchstanders are working with local partners, the Virginia and Maryland Pilot's Associations and local tug boat companies to coordinate assistance to ships dragging anchor and others requiring tug support to remain moored at several facilities due to strong wind gusts.

"The Coast Guard, commercial industry and port partners are coordinating efforts to respond to the current adverse weather conditions and are monitoring all efforts to safely attend all vessels," said Capt. John Little, the commander of Sector Hampton Roads. "Weather events such as this storm illustrate the continued need for close partnerships between the Coast Guard, industry and local emergency crews responding to maritime incidents."

There are currently no reports of pollution or injuries.

WHO: Capt. John Little, the captain of the port of Hampton Roads

WHAT: Will be available to talk to media about the Coast Guard's response to the 751-foot bulk carrier, Ornak, aground near First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach as well as the Coast Guard's response to a vessel collision and ships dragging anchor due to severe weather.

WHEN: Wednesday at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: 2800 Shore Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Media interested in attending should contact Lt. Scott McBride at 757-636-2425.

In this accelerated video the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Morro Bay, homeported in Cleveland, breaks ice in Marquette harbor in Marquette, Mich., April 13, 2014. The crew battled 24-inch plate ice during the operation. U.S. Coast Guard video courtesy of Shawn Malone/Lake Superior Photo

Editor's Note: The video web link on the previous version of this release no longer works. 

Coast Guard Cutters Morro Bay and Katmai Bay, homeported in Cleveland and Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., conducted ice breaking operations in Marquette, Mich., Sunday.

The harbor breakout operations commenced following a difficult and lengthy escort that started in Duluth, Minn., and utilized satellite imagery to find openings in the ice.

The crews’ efforts helped keep local mining operations open by allowing the commercial carriers Mesabi Miner and Kaye E. Barker to offload badly-needed coal to the power plant that is the sole supplier of electricity to the mines. Ice in Marquette harbor was reported to be up to 24 inches thick.

The Coast Guard ice breaking fleet has worked diligently throughout this historically gruelling winter to keep commerce moving throughout the Great Lakes despite significant ice coverage. 

MIAMI — Coast Guard crewmembers are responding to a fuel spill in the vicinity of Government Cut in Miami Wednesday, following a leak discovered aboard the 95-foot tug Neptune Tuesday night.

Upon further investigation, it has been determined that an estimated 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel have entered the water.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Miami is conducting an overflight to monitor the progression of diesel fuel in the water.

Coast Guard shoreline cleanup assessment teams have been deployed to local areas that may be impacted to monitor possible shoreline pollution and commence cleanup efforts if necessary.

As of 9:30 A.M. 950 feet of sorbent boom have been deployed by cleanup crews to contain pollution and minimize local impact. Crews are preparing to deploy more boom to protect environmentally sensitive areas near the incident.

The ruptured fuel tank has been patched and no more fuel is leaking from the vessel at this time. The vessel is safely moored at Dodge Island.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Miami first received a report from the Tug Neptune that a fuel tank holding approximately 7,800 gallons of diesel fuel aboard the vessel had leaked. The initial report was an estimated 100 gallons of fuel had leaked into the water Tuesday night.

An aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami is on scene alongside a crew from Coast Guard Station Miami Beach, Fla., and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The cause of the incident is under investigation.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Coast Guard members at Sector St. Petersburg wore their service dress blue uniforms to raise awareness and facilitate discussion about sexual assault in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Wednesday.

Service Dress Blue Day is a Coast Guard-wide initiative to raise awareness of the Coast Guard Sexual Assault Prevention and Response program during Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

Master Chief Petty Officer Michael Leavitt, the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, encouraged all Coast Guard chiefs, senior chiefs, master chiefs and other senior leadership to wear their dress uniforms to draw attention and create discussion amongst Coast Guardsmen about sexual assault prevention awareness.

“Our goal is to foster discussion within the ranks about sexual assault and break down the barriers of reporting a crime," said Capt. Gregory Case, sector's commander. “We are determined to change the culture related to sexual assault awareness and prevention.  Facilitating discussions throughout the sector is an important first step.”

For more information about the Coast Guard Sexual Prevention and Response Program, please visit http://www.uscg.mil/worklife/rape_sexual_assault.asp.

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol in New London, Conn., reflect on the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the importance of their mission during a ceremony held in New London, Conn., April 16, 2014. Every year, the IIP conducts a ceremony to remember the passengers and crew who lost their lives as a result of the Titanic sinking. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Keith Murray)

NEW LONDON, Conn. – Members of the U.S. Coast Guard International Ice Patrol reflected on the sinking of the RMS Titanic and the importance of their mission during a ceremony held in New London, Conn., today. 

The annual ceremony serves as a way to remember and honor those who lost their lives during the Titanic’s maiden voyage, which ended tragically on the evening of April 14, 1912, when the ship struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic.

"It is with great respect and reverence that we commemorate the 102nd anniversary of the sinking of the RMS Titanic on April 15, 1912," said Cmdr. Gabrielle McGrath, commander of the IIP. “We remember over 1,500 souls who perished on that fateful morning." 

During the annual ceremony, Coast Guard Cmdr. Keith Shuley, chaplain of the Coast Guard Academy, dedicated floral arrangements in remembrance of the more than 1,500 passengers who died.

Every year, the IIP conducts a ceremony to remember the passengers and crew who lost their lives as a result of the Titanic sinking.

A special moment of silence was held to honor Edward Kamuda, president and founder of the Titanic Historical Society, who died April 13, 2014. 

***Editors note: Media interested in more information about the International Ice Patrol please contact (860) 271-2626

Video of the exercise is available online.  

PHILADELPHIA — Coast Guard and Philadelphia police and fire department personnel held an active-shooter response exercise at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia Wednesday.

This exercise involved a simulated active shooter, takedown and building sweep followed by training for first responders. The simulated shooter used blanks to realistically replicate the noise of a weapon discharge.

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard suspended the search Wednesday for a Japanese crewmember reported overboard from the container ship Hercules Highway, approximately 805 miles northeast of Oahu.

Vice Adm. Paul F. Zukunft	Rear Adm. Charles W. Ray

ALAMEDA, Calif. – Rear Adm. Charles W. Ray will relieve Vice Adm. Paul F. Zukunft as Commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area and Coast Guard Defense Forces West, in a change-of-command ceremony scheduled for Tuesday, at 11 a.m., at Coast Guard Island in Alameda.

Zukunft has served as the Pacific Area Commander since April 2012, and is leaving to assume the duties as the Coast Guard Commandant in Washington, D.C., upon Senate confirmation.

“It has been a pleasure serving as the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area commander for the past two years, and I look forward to the opportunity to continue my service as the Coast Guard’s 25^th Commandant,” said Zukunft.

Ray has served as the Pacific Area deputy since 2013. His previous flag assignments include Coast Guard District 14 Commander, service with U.S. Forces Iraq as Director of the Iraq Training and Advisory Mission for the Ministry of Interior, and as the Military Advisor to the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

Ray, a Newport, Ark., native, is a 1981 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy. After an assignment as a deck watch officer aboard Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet, he was selected for Naval Flight Training and earned his wings in 1983.

PACAREA’s area of responsibility encompasses six of the seven continents, 71 countries, and more than 74 million square miles of ocean -- from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica.

The change of command ceremony is a time-honored tradition, which formally restates that the continuity of command will be maintained. It is a formal ritual, conducted before the assembled company of the command. It conveys to the officers, enlisted personnel, civilian employees, and auxiliarists of the Coast Guard that although the authority of command is relinquished by one person and is assumed by another, it is still maintained without interruption.

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Rear Adm. Charles Ray is scheduled to be promoted to vice admiral prior to the ceremony Tuesday morning.

Media interested in attending the ceremony, please contact Chief Warrant Officer Allyson Conroy at 510.437.5682 or Allyson.e.conroy@uscg.mil.

Select thumbnails for high-resolution view and download at DVIDS

CHARLESTON, S.C. – At a media event Tuesday, U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Mounted Police students demonstrated a vessel boarding exercise for their “Shiprider” training at the Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Charleston, S.C.

The graduation ceremony Wednesday marks the culmination of eight days of maritime law enforcement–based curriculum designed to familiarize students in combating cross-border crime and the standard operating procedures for enforcing U.S. and Canadian laws respective of jurisdiction.

“We are very excited to continue this training in the Charleston area,” said Cmdr. Tom Walsh, commanding officer of MLEA. “It builds upon our strong partnership with RCMP and provides Coast Guardsmen and Canadian members with the professional, standardized training needed to conduct integrated 21st century law enforcement missions.”

To date, 236 students have received the Shiprider designation. Each Shiprider course averages 28 students per class.

Designed to strengthen security along the shared border, the Shiprider Program allows U.S. and Canadian maritime law enforcement officers to embark together on joint patrols to achieve integrated operations on and near shared maritime borders. By working together, both countries’ law enforcement crews are able to exercise operational flexibility to pursue and interdict vessels across the international border.

Successes from the program include working approximately 3900 patrol hours, 710 vessel boardings; seizures of 2,800 pounds of bulk fine cut tobacco, 103 pounds of marijuana, 1.2 million cigarettes and documenting more than 27 boating safety violations.

The pilot shiprider program started in 2005, which developed into full-time operations in 2013 following the signing of the U.S.-Canada Bi-lateral Framework Agreement in 2009 and the establishment of the Bi-national Standard Operating Procedures in 2013. First District Commander Coast Guard Rear Adm. Dan Abel and RCMP  “J” Division commanding officer Roger L. Brown recently signed the Eastern Region International Cross-Border Maritime Law Enforcement Operations agreement April 8, 2014.

CLEVELAND — Coast Guard crews are searching for three to four people aboard a 21-foot Tracker Boat near South Bass Island in Lake Erie, Thursday.

The Coast Guard is not releasing the names of the missing people at the request of their families.

Coast Guard crews from Station Toledo, Ohio, and Station Marblehead, Ohio, are searching with 25-foot and 45-foot response boats, as well as an aircrew from Air Station Detroit aboard a Dolphin rescue helicopter.

“This is a large-scale cooperative search, harnessing Coast Guard, federal, local, and Canadian resources,” said Cmdr. Austin Ives, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Detroit.

The Coast Guard will release more information as it becomes available. Media can contact the Coast Guard 9^th District Public Affairs Office at 216-902-6020 for questions.

JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — The Coast Guard is responding to a report of a vessel that caught fire and became disabled with two men and a dog aboard south of the McCormick Bridge in the Intracoastal Waterway in Jacksonville Beach, Fla., Thursday.

A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Mayport, Fla., is currently on scene with the vessel, the fire is extinguished and there are no injuries reported.

Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department notified watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville command center of the situation at 7:54 a.m. The men were reportedly transiting from Palm Cove Marina in Jacksonville aboard the 33-foot sport fisher Day Tripper when the boat caught fire.

The fire was extinguished a short time later but the boat became disabled as a result and drifted toward the bridge, grounding south of the bridge and west of channel.

The Coast Guard boatcrew intends to remain with the Day Tripper until commercial salvage arrives.

Also assisting in the response were Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Sea Tow Jacksonville.

CLEVELAND — U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard crews continue to search for three people in the water in Lake Erie, Thursday, after one body was recovered and a boat was found five miles northeast of Locust Point, Ohio.

The Coast Guard is not releasing the names of the missing people or the recovered individual at the request of the families.

Coast Guard crews investigated a report of a second body in the water but found it was a floating log.

The search commenced at 2 a.m. after a watchstander at Sector Detroit received a report that a fishing group was overdue on returning home.

The boat was discovered on Toussaint Reef, approximately five miles northeast of Locust Point. The group's truck and boat trailer were found at the Locust Point boat ramp.

Coast Guard crews from Stations Marblehead and Toledo and Air Station Detroit are receiving assistance from an air asset from Regional Command Center Trenton, Ontario, a dive team from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, water search teams from Customs and Border Protection and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and local agencies conducting shoreline searches. A towing company has been cleared to tow the boat.

Editor's note: for high resolution images click the thumbnails above.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Crewmembers of Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron Jacksonville hosted Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Bryan B. Battaglia, the senior enlisted advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during his visit to HITRON Wednesday.

During the visit, Battaglia was given a tour of the facilities, including two of the assets used at the unit.

The first asset toured was the Midnight Express, a tactical training boat. Chief Petty Officer Robert Thomas described the capabilities of the boat and how it is used by the unit to practice helicopter interdictions. Battaglia was then shown to an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter used by the unit. He met with two of the helicopter crewmembers who briefed him on the use of the helicopters as well as the weapons systems used for law enforcement operations.

Battaglia received a briefing on HITRON's history and general missions. He ended his visit by addressing enlisted personnel issues with the entire crew, conducting a question and answer period and participating in a presentation of awards for notable crewmembers.

For more information about the visit, view the Armed Forces Press Service article at: http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=122073

For more information contact Coast Guard Seventh District Public Affairs Detachment Jacksonville at 305-318-1864.

WHAT:  Portsmouth-based Coast Guard Cutter Legare is scheduled to return to homeport Saturday after a 49-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea and drug offload in Miami. Following two separate high seas drug interdictions and seizures in the Caribbean Sea by the Legare crew and a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment detailed to the Canadian Ship Glace Bay, the combined contraband was transported by Legare’s crew and offloaded in Miami Tuesday.  The seizure totaled to 3,300 kilograms of cocaine worth $110 million.

WHO: Media interviews of Cmdr. Kevin M. King, commanding officer of the cutter Legare.  Legare crew homecoming and disembarking the cutter.

WHEN: The Legare is scheduled to arrive pierside 4 p.m., Saturday. Media should be at the pier no later than 3 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: Coast Guard Base Portsmouth, 4000 Coast Guard Blvd, Portsmouth

CONTACT & RSVP: Senior Chief Petty Officer Sarah B. Foster 757.398.6521 cell 571.253.1759 Saturday 10 a.m.; email sarah.b.foster@uscg.mil

MEDIA GROUND RULES: Media credentials, driver’s license and proof of registration required for a base pass.

MEDIA KIT:

Press release of drug offload in Miami:

**Multimedia Release** Coast Guard offloads $110 million of cocaine - See more at: http://www.uscgnews.com/go/doc/4007/2144594/#sthash.fb11UyYV.dpuf

Coast Guard Cutter Legare website:

http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cgcLegare/

Cmdr. Kevin M. King bio:

http://www.uscg.mil/lantarea/cgcLegare/cofficer.asp

Video:

Legare drug seizure video: http://www.dvidshub.net/video/329896/coast-guard-cutter-legare-interdiction

Drug offload video:  http://www.dvidshub.net/video/329863/coast-guard-cutter-legare-offloads-approximately-110-million-cocaine

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND: The Cutter Legare is a 270-foot medium endurance cutter that operates in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico for the commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area. The cutter’s missions include search and rescue; maritime law enforcement; marine environmental protection; defense readiness; and ports, waterways and coastal security.

The 22-year-old Legare and the other 26 medium endurance cutters are slated for replacement by a new class of cutters. The new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) will operate more than 50 miles from land, carrying out the Coast Guard's maritime security and safety activities in support of national interests.  The OPC will be an economical, multi-mission ship, providing pursuit boat and helicopter capabilities and interoperability with other military and federal partners, superior to the cutters they replace.  Equipped with modern sensors, the Offshore Patrol Cutter will provide the enhanced surveillance necessary to detect threats far from U.S. shores and meet the demands of the Coast Guard’s homeland security, search and rescue, law enforcement and other vital missions.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle Kohl and Petty Officer 3rd Class Sean Liston, crew members of Coast Guard Cutter Seneca's tie down team, finish hooking up gear during a Vertical Replenishment exercise with a MH-60 Jayhawk from Air Station Elizabeth City. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole Lockhart.)

Coast Guard Cutter Seneca's tie down team taking off primary tie downs on an MH-60 Jayhawk from Air Station Elizabeth City during day time launch and recovery exercises. (Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole Lockhart.)

BOSTON  – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Seneca returned to their homeport in Boston on April 10, after completing a 53-day deployment which included two weeks of training at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek, Va., and five weeks of fisheries patrols off the coasts of New Jersey, Virginia, and North Carolina.

The Seneca patrolled the Mid-Atlantic Ocean in support of the Coast Guard Fifth District’s Operation Ocean Hunter. They boarded 26 fishing vessels from March 2 until April 5. During the patrol, the Seneca ensured the commercial fishing fleet was in compliance with all federal fisheries regulations and issued two fisheries violations.  

In addition to law enforcement, the Seneca conducted a workup with the Coast Guard Maritime Security Response Team and other deployable specialized forces units. Using the Seneca’s flight deck, MSRT members completed 76 vertical insertions and 44 hoists. They also completed 210 climbs where they boarded the cutter from a tactical boat via a caving ladder. The Seneca also completed several helicopter in-flight refuels and vertical replenishments with Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.

The Seneca underwent a post mission effectiveness project training availability period, led by Coast Guard Afloat Training Group Atlantic. For two weeks, the Seneca conducted shipboard drills, and training and evolutions to improve overall crew proficiency in navigation, seamanship, force protection and damage control. The events included a successful underway refueling evolution alongside a Navy oiler and the completion of 51 standard drills and exercises.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Coast Guard is warning boaters looking to get out on Lake Ontario and eastern Lake Erie this weekend that the water temperatures in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are still dangerously cold.

The National Weather Service reports that the water temperatures in Lake Erie and Lake Ontario are just above freezing, 32 F and 38 F respectively.

The cold water has already claimed the lives of several boaters on Lake Erie.

In the best of scenarios, a male of average height and weight in freezing or near-freezing water would lose function after an hour if not dressed properly.

"The conditions on the water can be very deceptive with warm air temperature," said Lt. Cdr. Thomas Pequignot, chief, Incident Management Division at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo. "Forecasted temperatures in the mid 60s this weekend may give the mariner a false perception that it is safe to venture out on the water. Remember to always dress for the water temperature and not the air temperature."

Here are a few tips from the Coast Guard to help keep you safe now and in the upcoming boating season:

• Never go out on the water or ice alone. Proper precautions should always be taken before heading out on the water or the ice
• Before making your first trip out onto the water this spring, be sure to ensure seaworthiness of your vessel and inspect it thoroughly 
• Ensure the boat drain plugs are properly installed
• Inspect the hull for wear and tear that may have occurred over the long winter season
• Check the readiness of all your survival and safety equipment
• Free boat inspections can be arranged and scheduled with the Coast Guard Auxiliary

Additionally, the combination of warmer temperatures and shifting winds has caused extremely hazardous ice conditions throughout Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and inland. The Coast Guard cautions against ice fishing and transiting on the ice due to the threat of weak ice.

For more information or requests for interview contact Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Pequignot, Coast Guard Sector Buffalo public affairs officer, at 716-843-9317.

CLEVELAND — U.S. and Canadian Coast Guard crews continue to search for two people in the water in Lake Erie, Thursday, after two bodies were recovered and a boat was found five miles northeast of Locust Point, Ohio.

The Coast Guard is not releasing the names of the missing or recovered people at the request of the families.

Both recovered people were wearing life jackets.

The Coast Guard has also dispatched a fixed-wing search jet, based out of Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, from Air Station Detroit. Toledo Fire/Rescue has provided side-scan sonar, which can detect objects in the water even in low-visibility.

The search commenced at 2 a.m. after a watchstander at Sector Detroit received a report that a fishing group was overdue on returning home.

The boat was discovered on Toussaint Reef, approximately five miles northeast of Locust Point. The group's truck and boat trailer were found at the Locust Point boat ramp.

Coast Guard crews from Stations Marblehead and Toledo and Air Station Detroit continue to receive assistance from an air asset from Regional Command Center Trenton, Ontario, a dive team from the Ottawa County Sheriff's Department, water search teams from Customs and Border Protection and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and local agencies conducting shoreline searches.

Combined, crews have searched 200 square nautical miles of the lake so far.

Coast Guard air crews are flying an additional helicopter to Air Station Detroit from Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, Mich., to maintain the Coast Guard's capacity to respond to emergencies.

Multiple surface and aviation assets search the water in Lake Erie for two of the four people reported overdue after a fishing trip, April 17, 2014. The Coast Guard, the Canadian Coast Guard and local agencies recovered two of the four, both deceased. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip Null

Coast Guard boat crews aboard a 25-foot response boat and a 45-foot response boat (upper left) search Lake Erie for two of the four passengers of the overturned boat in Lake Erie, April 17, 2014. The Coast Guard, Canadian Coast Guard and local agencies recovered two of the four, both deceased. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Phillip Null

Click for second update release regarding this case.

Click for first update release regarding this case.

Click for initial release regarding this case.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard is in the final stages of reviewing a salvage plan Thursday that is scheduled to begin Friday morning to move the 751-foot bulk carrier, Ornak, that is aground near First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, Va.

"Moving a vessel of this size off the beach is a complicated and dynamic operation, requiring close coordination of multiple stakeholders," said Capt. John Little, the Captain of the Port of Hampton Roads. "We are eager to have the vessel removed from Virginia Beach and returned to service while ensuring that it represents no hazard to the port or the environment."

Ballast water will begin to be pumped off the vessel Friday morning and tug boats will attempt to remove the vessel at high tide, which is at approximately 10:45 a.m.

Once the vessel is freed, it will be moved to Lynnhaven Anchorage for a hull inspection to be completed by a dive team. Once the ship is deemed safe, the Coast Guard will remove the captain of the port restrictions and allow the vessel to be put back into service.