Classification
- Incident Type: Fire / Sinking
- Severity: High
- Region: Pacific Ocean
- Primary evidence: U.S. Coast Guard releases and NOAA IncidentNews
Vessel Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Vessel Name | Morning Midas |
| Vessel Type | Ro-Ro / Car Carrier |
| Flag State | Liberia [LR] |
| IMO Number | 9289910 |
| MMSI | 636021856 |
| Call Sign | 5LGA6 |
| Gross Tonnage | 46800 |
| LOA (m) | 182.80 |
| Breadth (m) | 31.50 |
| Year Built | 2006 |
| Manager | Zodiac Maritime |
Incident Details
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Date | 2025-06-03 |
| Location | North Pacific, approximately 360 nm from nearest land, southwest of Adak, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 45.288000, -179.236167 |
| Region | Pacific Ocean |
| Fatalities | |
| Injuries | |
| Missing | |
| Crew aboard | 22 |
| Cargo Loss | 3,048 vehicles were reported aboard when the fire began; final cargo disposition was not publicly detailed |
| Direct Damage | |
| Economic Damage | |
| Salvage/Cleanup Cost |
Key facts
- The U.S. Coast Guard received a distress alert reporting a fire on June 3, 2025, when the vessel was approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska.
- All 22 crew members evacuated in a lifeboat and were rescued by the motor vessel Cosco Hellas; no injuries were reported.
- The Coast Guard corrected the reported cargo to 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric vehicles and 681 partial hybrid vehicles.
- NOAA recorded the last known position before sinking as 45°17.28′ N, 179°14.17′ W, approximately 360 nautical miles from land and at a depth of about 5,000 metres.
- Salvage tugs and pollution-response resources remained in the area after the vessel sank; no visible pollution was reported in the immediate response.
Narrative
Morning Midas, a 182.80-metre Liberian-flagged vehicle carrier managed by Zodiac Maritime, was sailing from Yantai, China, toward Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, when the U.S. Coast Guard received a distress alert reporting a fire on June 3, 2025. The vessel was approximately 300 miles south of Adak, Alaska, outside the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Coast Guard information identified the ship as carrying 3,048 vehicles, including 70 fully electric vehicles and 681 partial hybrid vehicles. Those cargo figures were described as reported information subject to change.
The crew attempted to control the fire with the vessel’s emergency systems, but abandoned ship in a lifeboat when the response could not bring the situation under control. The motor vessel Cosco Hellas rescued all 22 crew members. The Coast Guard reported no injuries. Smoke and flames continued to be observed during subsequent overflights, and the vessel drifted while response planning continued.
Zodiac Maritime appointed Resolve Marine to coordinate salvage and firefighting support. The salvage tug Gretchen Dunlap reached the vessel on June 9, and the Coast Guard reported no visible pollution during an overflight. NOAA recorded approximately 480,000 gallons of very-low-sulfur fuel oil and 110,000 gallons of marine gas oil aboard or at risk of release. The remote location, weather, and continuing fire complicated the response.
On June 23, Morning Midas developed a rapidly increasing port list, capsized, and sank by the stern in international waters. NOAA placed the last known position before sinking at 45°17.28′ N, 179°14.17′ W, approximately 360 nautical miles from the nearest land and in water about 5,000 metres deep. The Coast Guard later concluded its response. Salvage tugs with pollution-control equipment remained on scene as a precaution, but no final pollution assessment or monetary damage estimate was identified.
Sequence of events
| Date/time | Event |
|---|---|
| 2025-06-03 | The Coast Guard received a distress alert reporting a fire aboard Morning Midas approximately 300 miles south of Adak. The 22-person crew abandoned ship in a lifeboat and was rescued by Cosco Hellas. |
| 2025-06-06 | A Coast Guard overflight found the vessel still on fire; the crew remained aboard Cosco Hellas with no reported injuries. |
| 2025-06-09 | Salvage tug Gretchen Dunlap arrived with salvage personnel. A Coast Guard overflight reported no signs of pollution. |
| 2025-06-23 | The vessel capsized and sank by the stern after a rapidly increasing port list. |
| 2025-06-24 | The Coast Guard reported that its response had concluded and that the wreck lay in international waters at approximately 16,400 feet. |
Contributing factors
| Factor | Evidence status | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire damage and water ingress | Reported | The vessel manager, as reported by SWZ | Maritime, attributed the sinking to fire damage compounded by heavy weather and subsequent water ingress. No official casualty finding was identified. |
| Fire on a vehicle deck | Reported | The Coast Guard reported smoke from a deck carrying vehicles, including electric and hybrid vehicles. The reviewed sources do not establish the fire’s ignition cause. |
Investigation
The reviewed public sources identify Coast Guard and NOAA response records but do not provide a published NTSB, flag-state, or other official casualty investigation report. No official finding on the fire’s ignition cause was identified. NOAA and the Coast Guard documented the response, the vessel’s drift and sinking, the fuel at risk, and the immediate pollution-monitoring measures.
References
- NOAA IncidentNews: Fire on board M/V Morning Midas
- U.S. Coast Guard: Coast Guard responds to vessel fire offshore Adak, Alaska
- U.S. Coast Guard: Update, vessel fire offshore Adak, Alaska
- U.S. Coast Guard: Update 2, vessel fire offshore Adak, Alaska
- U.S. Coast Guard: Update 3, vessel fire offshore Adak, Alaska
- NOAA: Incident responses for June 2025
- SWZ|Maritime: Car carrier Morning Midas sinks after fire
- VesselFinder: Morning Midas, IMO 9289910