The US Coast Guard responded Wednesday to a cargo vessel fire approximately 300 miles south of Adak, following a distress call from the 600-foot Liberian-flagged ship Morning Midas, which had reported a fire on board and carried a crew of 22 and a cargo of thousands of vehicles.
The distress signal was received Tuesday at about 3:15 pm by watchstanders at the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District command center. The vessel, owned by Zodiac Maritime, was en route through the North Pacific Ocean when the fire broke out.
In response, the Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, prompting three nearby vessels to assist. One of those, the motor vessel Cosco Hellas, successfully rescued all 22 crew members from a life raft launched by the Morning Midas. No injuries were reported.
The Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) was diverted to the scene, while a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft was launched from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak, and an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew was staged in Adak to assist in the response.
The status of the fire aboard the Morning Midas remains unclear, but officials report that smoke continues to be seen rising from the vessel.
Rear Admiral Megan Dean, commander of the Coast Guard’s Seventeenth District, praised the coordinated effort:
“As the search and rescue portion of our response concludes, our crews are working closely with the vessel’s parent company, Zodiac Maritime, to determine the disposition of the vessel. We are grateful for the selfless actions of the three nearby vessels who assisted in the response and the crew of motor vessel Cosco Hellas, who helped save 22 lives.”
According to information provided to the Coast Guard, the Morning Midas is carrying approximately 350 metric tons of gas fuel and 1,530 metric tons of very low sulfur fuel oil. The vessel’s cargo reportedly includes 3,159 vehicles, among them 65 fully electric and 681 hybrid-electric vehicles. These figures are preliminary and subject to change as more details become available.
The Coast Guard is actively working with Zodiac Maritime to assess the vessel’s condition and plan a recovery operation.
The situation remains under observation as the Coast Guard continues to monitor the potential environmental risks posed by the fuel and vehicle cargo aboard the drifting vessel.
