Second Response Tug Takes Over Tow of Burned-Out Car Carrier in N. Pacific

On Sunday, the second of three oceangoing tugs dispatched by salvage company Resolve Marine has arrived on scene to assist the burned-out car carrier Morning Midas, which is adrift in the Pacific south of Adak. 

The Morning Midas was abandoned on June 3 after an uncontrollable fire broke out on board. In comparatively calm conditions for the North Pacific, the crew abandoned ship and were safely rescued by a passing merchant ship.

The vessel, which is managed by London-based Zodiac Maritime, is reported to be carrying a total of 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric vehicles and 681 gas-electric hybrids. It was heading from China to Lázaro Cárdenas under charter to China’s SAIC Anji Logistics.

The first responders arrived on scene aboard tug Gretchen Dunlap on June 9. Gretchen Dunlap managed to establish a towline to Morning Midas on the 11th, and the tug has been holding the stricken vessel in position ever since. Garth Foss has now arrived and taken over the tow. 

The third and final tug scheduled to assist - the first one powerful enough to tow Morning Midas away - is still one week out, a reminder of the sheer remoteness of the Aleutian Islands. With this vessel's current estimated ETA, it is on track to arrive roughly three weeks after the fire began. 

Luckily, salvors aboard Garth Foss report that thermal scans show no remaining signs of active fire onboard the car carrier. There are no signs of pollution in the water, and the vessel’s watertight integrity remains intact. Pollution control plans have been prepared as a precautionary measure. 

"Zodiac Maritime and Resolve Marine continue to be grateful for the ongoing close cooperation and support from the United States Coast Guard," operator Zodiac said in a statement.