Approximate GPS Coordinates To Original Wreck Site: 43.383241, -124.317664
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EXPLORE > SECRETS OF SHIPWRECKS
For the captain and crew of the freighter New Carissa, the journey to Coos Bay, Oregon, to pick up a load of wood chips promised to be routine. As it turned out, it would become one of the worst environmental disasters in Oregon’s history. Things began to go wrong for the New Carissa on the evening of February 4, 1999. Stormy conditions and high surf prevented the freighter from entering the port at Coos Bay, so the crew dropped anchor off shore to wait out the squall. However, the single anchor was insufficient to hold the large vessel in place and the waves began to push it toward land. By the time the crew noticed the problem, little could be done. The ship ran aground just north of the bay’s entrance, the impact breaking open two of its five fuel tanks and flooding the beach with 70,000 gallons of oil and diesel fuel. |
A variety of factors kept the New Carissa from being quickly removed from the beach. First, the especially poor weather prevented the ship from moving under its own power and kept salvage tug boats from assisting her for up to four days. Then the hull breached on February 10, flooding the engine compartment with seawater and destroying any hope of salvaging the ship. At this point, all efforts turned to preventing a large scale environmental disaster caused by the toxic fuels.
In the days that followed, napalm and other explosive devices were used to set the ship’s remaining fuel stores on fire. Although this successfully destroyed up to 255,000 gallons of fuel before it could escape into the environment, the area’s seabird population and oyster beds were already devastated from the initial spill. The fire also weakened the metal bulkheads so much that the New Carissa broke in half on February 11, 1999. A tug boat managed to drag the bow section out to sea but another storm broke the tow line and the wreck washed up on the beach near Walport, about 80 miles north of Coos Bay. The bow was eventually refloated, moved into deep water and sunk by two US Navy vessels. The extreme cold of the deep water would solidify the remaining fuel onboard and render it harmless.
Although further oil spills were now avoided, the New Carissa’s stern section would sit like an unwanted visitor outside Coos Bay for another nine years. It was finally dismantled in 2009.
In the days that followed, napalm and other explosive devices were used to set the ship’s remaining fuel stores on fire. Although this successfully destroyed up to 255,000 gallons of fuel before it could escape into the environment, the area’s seabird population and oyster beds were already devastated from the initial spill. The fire also weakened the metal bulkheads so much that the New Carissa broke in half on February 11, 1999. A tug boat managed to drag the bow section out to sea but another storm broke the tow line and the wreck washed up on the beach near Walport, about 80 miles north of Coos Bay. The bow was eventually refloated, moved into deep water and sunk by two US Navy vessels. The extreme cold of the deep water would solidify the remaining fuel onboard and render it harmless.
Although further oil spills were now avoided, the New Carissa’s stern section would sit like an unwanted visitor outside Coos Bay for another nine years. It was finally dismantled in 2009.
The Environmental Impact of the Shipwreck:
Although the burning of the ship’s fuel and scuttling of its bow section in deep water undoubtedly prevented a larger problem, the wreck stands as the second worst environmental disaster in Oregon’s history. The US Coast Guard estimated over 3,000 seabirds died as a result of the oil spill and entire populations of marine invertebrates were wiped out.
Numerous public and private lawsuits followed the New Carissa wreck. The ship’s crew, parent company, and one of the salvage companies were found guilty of negligence. The State of Oregon was awarded $20 million dollars in damages to help with restoration of the affected ecosystems. Some of these funds were also earmarked for large scale educational efforts and recreational improvements to the coastline. Everything from new interpretive signage to better camping facilities and interactive nature apps have been funded as a result of the lawsuit money.
Additional Resources: US Fish and Wildlife Service: New Carissa Oil Spill: From Response to Restoration
Photo credits: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Fish and Wildlife Servce.
Numerous public and private lawsuits followed the New Carissa wreck. The ship’s crew, parent company, and one of the salvage companies were found guilty of negligence. The State of Oregon was awarded $20 million dollars in damages to help with restoration of the affected ecosystems. Some of these funds were also earmarked for large scale educational efforts and recreational improvements to the coastline. Everything from new interpretive signage to better camping facilities and interactive nature apps have been funded as a result of the lawsuit money.
Additional Resources: US Fish and Wildlife Service: New Carissa Oil Spill: From Response to Restoration
Photo credits: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Fish and Wildlife Servce.